


Mind Over Matter

by xSoliloquy



Series: Mind Over Matter 'Verse [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A bit cliche at first, Action, Adorable Remus/Harry Interactions, Angst and Feels, BAMF Harry, Blatant Flirting, Brief Hermione!Bashing (Kinda), Brief Homophobic!Ron, Crack, Epic Length, Eventual Good!Draco Malfoy, Excessive Cursing, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Harry working for Voldemort, Humor, Kinda, M/M, Marauders, Mating Bond, Minor Character Deaths, Murder, No Snape Bashing, Not canon-compliant, Pranks, Professor!Harry, Remus has amber eyes, Romance, Sass, Second War with Voldemort, Separation, Slow Romance, Snape Actually is Awesome, Time Travel, Torture, eventually, marauder era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2008-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2017-12-28 14:28:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 106,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xSoliloquy/pseuds/xSoliloquy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Remus Lupin</b> is thrust into the future during his seventh year at Hogwarts and meets the Golden Trio. He discovers the bleak reality of his and his friends' eventual fates and learns to deal with the knowledge that he cannot change what will happen, while falling in love and trying to ignore the fact that it can't last.</p><p><b>Professor Lupin</b> thinks there's something off about the new student at Hogwarts, and when he discovers what exactly that is he struggles to come to terms with it all. He doesn't know how to take the situation between himself and Harry, but he's determined to protect him even as he keeps him at a distance.</p><p><b>Harry Potter</b> is stunned when he realizes that his new friend is actually the teenage version of his teacher and good friend, Remus Lupin. He's even more astounded when he realizes he's fallen in love with the teen, and those feelings extend to the older man as well. He ignores the knowledge that eventually his lover will leave and he'll be left with the man that Remus becomes, who doesn't seem to want anything to do with their history.</p><p>Then, Harry gets the shock of his life through an event that will destroy what he's familiar with and change <i>everything</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Future and the Egg

**Author's Note:**

>   
> **WARNING:**  
>  This story contains SLASH- which means male-male relationships, and will contain graphic sexual situations. It also contains cursing, often used in excess. This is for _mature_ readers only. Ignores some of Book 6 and Book 7. **Sirius does not die.** In this story canon has been murdered. I use canon aspects throughout the fic but I make it my bitch. (Meaning I use some facts and mold them the way I see fit into the story.) Please be aware that I am not British and did not try to hide my Americanisms, so I apologize in advance if I offend any Europeans with my bastardized European term use. Lastly, I am **fully aware** that it is now canon for Remus' eyes to be green, however I began this story before that was revealed and so I chose to use brown/amber as his eye color. I refuse to change that after all of my writing, so make note that his eyes are not the canonical color and that is intentional, not out of ignorance.
> 
> **Disclaimer:**  
>  I don't own Harry Potter or any brand names or famous works that you may recognize that may be used in this story. This includes anything musical or published. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and will not under any circumstances be used in any way to make a profit. So don't sue me. And this is the only disclaimer I'm giving.
> 
> **Actual Author's Note:**  
>  This fic is my baby. It's the longest story I've ever written, and it has been around through a lot of milestones in my life. I have up to chapter 24 written, somewhere around a hundred and thirty thousand words, over on Fanfiction.net (under the same name as I use here, xSoliloquy). I'm working on uploading it all here and once I do I'll be going through and cleaning up my grammar, formatting, and any errors like spelling or detail inconsistencies I may have missed. For the most part it shouldn't be error-ridden, but I know there are some issues in here that I need to iron out.
> 
> Finally, thanks for giving my story a chance and please give a kudos or review if you enjoy it. I'm kind of lax in posting/editing this over here because it hasn't garnered as much attention as it has on FF.net yet, so I pretty much forget about it being on here most of the time.
> 
> All of that said, carry on and I hope you enjoy Mind Over Matter!

 Remus Lupin was the definition of the perfect student. He aced all of his courses, had strong intelligence and boundless wit, never spoke ill to his professors and always respected them. That is, if you didn't know him  _well_  at least, for if you did take the time to get to know Remus then you would discover his darker side; his love for pranks, stemming into his friendship with the notorious troublemakers called the Marauders, his lunar curse that turned him into a monster out for blood once a month, his bitterness toward all prejudice wizards, as well as his ability to over analyze everything to the point of obsession before making a definitive decision.

Even though he had his good points and his bad points, anyone you asked would tell you that he was a respectable and kind boy who would do anything for anyone, within reason of course. It was safe to say that he was well liked by all, though he firmly believed- and it was probably true- that if his secret were to ever come out into the open, people may not be so kindly toward him anymore. Therefore he had a habit of keeping everyone around him at a distance, so that he wouldn't be hurt by their words or actions if the worst case scenario happened. His three friends; James, Sirius, and Peter were the exception however, as they knew already of his curse and he was free to be himself around them because of that.

At the current moment the sandy-brown haired teenager was seated in his potions class, diligently working on a concoction that was no challenge to his advanced skill. His friends were, as always, goofing off and planning general chaos for whatever unlucky sap was their target this time around. Whenever the teacher, Professor Slughorn, would turn around and look their way the three Marauders pretended to busy themselves with their potions, throwing in whatever was within arms reach at the time whether or not it was a necessary ingredient.

"Moony!" A voice whispered to his right, coming from his friend Sirius Black. "Is there a way to put a timing charm on the bat-boogey hex?"

Briefly giving thought to his friend's question, he shook his head in the negative. "No. It's not possible, because if you were to combine any time charm to that particular hex it would turn the results into something similar to the  _densaugeo_  charm."

"Damnit." Sirius said before turning back to James and resuming their whispered scheming.

Remus concentrated on his potion, undisturbed, for the rest of the class period. He knew his friends would let him in on their idea as soon as lunch rolled around. After first year the three other Marauders had learned that it was best not to disturb the scholarly teen with their mischief until he was well away from any classrooms, since they'd gotten quite a surprise during their first attempt at including said person. Peter was still washing the evidence of a hair-dying hex out. Slughorn made a few comments on the now finished potions around the room, and then instructed the class to bottle up a vial and turn them in.

After seeing his three companion's finished products it came as a surprise to him that they were even passing the subject, let alone slipping by barely. He assumed that he had himself to thank for that, though, since they always came to him right before a test in order to be prepared. Sometimes it was tough being the smart one. If he ever let himself slack off, he wouldn't be the only one disadvantaged. His three friends would be failing as well. There was just a tad too much pressure on the young wolf to be the other three's scapegoat when it came to lessons. But he wouldn't trade his friends for anything in the world, and therefore he'd keep his small objections to himself.

After bottling up his perfect concoction and turning it in, he helped the other three do the same, cringing at the difference between what the potion was supposed to be and then what it actually  _was_. Where the potion was intended to be a soft purple hue with the consistency of gravy, James' looked like something that was vomited up, a grotesque color with the thickness of water. Sirius' was a dark black, rivaling his eye color, as thick as mud, while Peter's was glowing green, nearly reminding Remus of a muggle movie he'd once watched that displayed radiation as looking similar, and wasn't really liquid at all, instead being a kind of… goop.

"You guys really need to learn to save the pranks until lessons are over. One of these days you aren't going to have me around to clean up your messes." Remus muttered to them as they laughed and compared vials, trying to figure out whose potion was the ugliest. In the wolf's opinion, James' topped them all. It even  _smelled_  as it looked, and that was horrendous. At his words, the three paused and stared at him in amusement.

"But Moony, you'll always be around to kick our arses into gear!" James said with a grin.

"Yeah, you're ten times smarter than anyone we know. Nothing's going to stand a chance at taking you away from us." Peter said in agreement with James, looking slightly confused at the idea.

"Besides, you know us. We can resist everything except a good prank idea. It's hard to break bad habits!" Sirius said, throwing his hands up in false desperation. "The devil grabs a hold of us and won't let go until we exact evil and mischievous things on the populace!"

James and Peter were laughing at Sirius's words, while Remus was no longer paying attention, instead focusing, with horror, on the potion vial that had flown from Sirius's hands and was now barreling toward the werewolf.

Then there was a sudden crack as the glass hit his head and shattered, the disgusting onyx mixture spewing all over his head. And then the world became fuzzy and started swimming as his companions asked him if he were alright, alternating between concerned and amused voices. Slowly, the sound of their speaking became a dull vibration in his ears, the edges of his vision became black, and then everything disappeared altogether in the inky oblivion that consumed his consciousness.

* * *

Harry Potter was having a bad day. He'd stubbed his toe getting out of bed this morning, tripped over his shoes which were sitting innocently by the door, banged his forehead on the floor when he fell, was assaulted by a door that opened in front of him when he and his friends were making their way to the great hall for breakfast, and then he'd had a double potions lesson with Snarky Snape. He was feeling, at that moment, like he was the source of all of the universe's amusement this day.

"Oh come on, honestly! The lump isn't that bad." Hermione said in exasperation after the raven-haired boy had, for the hundredth time, commented on the egg-sized knot that had formed on his forehead where the door had struck him. He rolled his eyes at her callousness, fingering the wound gently.

"Yeah, besides," Ron, from his right side piped up with a cheerful voice. "It's barely even purple anymore. Looks more yellow now."

And that was supposed to help his mood, how? Apparently he and Hermione were on the same wave length at the moment, for they both whipped their heads around and glared at the red-headed teenager. Ron looked abashed, and turned his eyes to the floor with enough decency to appear ashamed at his words.

" _Anyway_ , if you're really that concerned over a little knock on the head why don't you just go see Madam Pomfrey? I'm sure she'd be able to get rid of it in no time." The bushy-haired bookworm said helpfully.

"No. I've spent more than enough time in that god awful white room to last me a lifetime, I don't need to make a trip just because I got a bit banged up." Harry said in refusal. If he had things his way then he'd never see that damned place again. The three quieted down a bit as they arrived at their Defense Against the Dark Arts class and took their seats.

They were a few minutes early that day, so few had yet arrived to the class. Their teacher was just walking out of his office as they sat down toward the front of the room, and therefore had a good view of the large lump on Harry's features.

"Dear Merlin, Harry, where'd you get that egg?" The professor asked in concern, situations like the boy-who-lived getting into a fist fight with the Malfoy boy flashing through his mind.

"I-uh… that is to say," Harry stuttered, trying to figure out an excuse that was a bit more dignified than-

"He walked into a door." That. With a glare, ignoring the snort of laughter that was emitted from their professor, Harry knocked Ron upside the head. Hermione rolled her eyes at their antics before turning to the professor.

"Professor Lupin, you seem a bit haggard today. Is everything alright?" She asked sincerely, and it was the two boys' turns to roll their eyes. Hermione had been harboring a crush on Remus since third year, only slightly dulled down by the revelation that he was a werewolf. Ron started snickering at the bookworm's misty eyes and Harry tried to control his own humor.

"I'm quite alright Miss Granger; I merely had a troubling night." Professor Lupin responded kindly, politely ignoring the way the young girl was staring at him even though it made him a bit uncomfortable.

After that all discussion was ended as the classroom filled up and the lesson began. About half-way through the period, a fifth year busted into the classroom without knocking.

"Harry Potter! Dumbledore needs to see you immediately!" The boy shouted before turning and running off.

Professor Lupin turned concerned eyes onto the boy, both wondering as well as the entire classroom what the importance was. Fear gripped Harry when he thought of it somehow being Voldemort related. After getting the professor's permission, Harry gathered up his things and went to see Dumbledore.

* * *

Remus groaned as he slowly came into consciousness. Above him was the white ceiling of the hospital wing of Hogwarts, something he knew well considering all the after-moons he'd spent there. He heard a bustling near by and figured it was Poppy doing whatever it was that she was usually doing. Remus couldn't remember what had happened to land him in the hospital wing, only remembering that he and his friends were in potions class one minute and the next he was laying in the pristine white room that was reserved for injured students and staff.

He knew, even without knowing why, that he was right in being here. His head felt like he'd been smashed with a sledgehammer, his body feeling like it had a ton of weight strapped to it. Every time he moved the slightest inch, he felt like his world was spinning. There was something else that was odd about this situation. His advanced sense of smell was picking up hundreds of scents in the castle that were not normally there. He stiffened momentarily when a hand was placed on his shoulder, then relaxed when he realized, both by scent and sight, that it was Albus Dumbledore.

"How are you feeling?" The kind man asked and Remus was reluctant to speak. He wasn't even sure if he could.

"L-like the Knight Bus hit me at full speed." He managed in a shaky tone, grimacing as the vibrations of speaking induced an ear-splitting headache. Dumbledore looked at him knowingly for a full minute before slipping a potion into one of his hands and helping him sit up to drink it. After the substance was fully consumed he felt like nothing had happened in the first place, his entire body going back to normal. The headache and weighty feeling were both gone, as was his dizziness.

"Mr. Lupin, I must ask you to tell me all you can remember about how you ended up here." The headmaster questioned softly, letting Remus sit back against the pillows and taking the chair next to his bed.

"James, Sirius, Peter and I were all in potions class… I was telling them that they needed to focus more on their studies since one day I wouldn't be there to help them… then everything is blank, sir." The werewolf replied, an expression of thought taking over his features. "What happened? Did I pass out?"

"No, it's safe to say you didn't." Albus told him in a patient tone. Taking a deep breath, he continued slowly. "You have somehow been brought into the future, Mr. Lupin."

"What?!" Remus cried in astonishment. There was no way in  _hell_  this could be happening to him. How the hell did it happen in the first place? What the  _hell_  was he going to do now? "How… what… Sir?"

"Let's be calm about this, Mr. Lupin. I am not sure of the circumstances that brought you here, but I am positive that there should be a way to send you back. It will, however, take time for me to research this and so we must figure out a plan for you until then."

This was too much, Remus couldn't comprehend it all rationally but at some corner of his mind he understood it perfectly. At Dumbledore's last sentence, his mind started to slowly come out of the shock it had been under since the bombshell that was his being in the future was uttered. He blinked, and then was his normal calm and collected self. He figured that he just had to take this all in stride.

During all of this, Albus himself was thinking of how to best go about this situation. He knew that if the now adult Lupin discovered that his teenage self was here, there would be catastrophic consequences. Having one person meet himself was likely not a good thing, so he'd have to glamour the younger Lupin for the duration of his time here. Then there was also the issue of Harry Potter. Would it be wise to have the young werewolf attend the school year, knowing he'd figure out everything that happened in the last decade and longer from the people here? Then again, he could always block the boy's memory of his time here when he left. That may explain why the elder Lupin had no idea that he was ever here in the first place. Yes, that would just have to be what he'd do.

"I have it all figured out, Mr. Lupin. We will start by changing your appearance with a simple glamour charm that will be easy for you to reapply when needed." He began, continuing when the boy nodded slowly in comprehension. "You will be allowed to stay here at Hogwarts as a student, and therefore will need a new name. Any ideas?"

Pausing to think before he spoke, Remus went over the possibilities. He would like to keep his first name, as being called by anything else would take too long to get used to and would ultimately confuse him. So, then, he only needed a last name. As he was thinking, he remembered something he read when he was a child. His first book, which was really not a children's book and was instead a novel, written by an author that had stuck with him to this day. He nodded with a satisfied smile and replied, "Remus Holmes."

"Remus? You wish to keep your first name?" Dumbledore frowned slightly and the werewolf hastened to explain.

"Yes, it would be too confusing to change it after seventeen years of going by it, don't you think?" He responded, "Besides, it is a common name, right?"

 _Not anymore._  Dumbledore thought but didn't voice. Though he didn't completely agree with keeping the boy's first name the same, he reasoned that with a glamour charm and a different last name, who would be able to connect the dots? So, finally, he nodded to the slightly nervous boy that it would do.

"Now I need to inform you of a few things in order to prepare you for what you'll see and hear. First of all, you are the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher here in this time, so you'll need to be extremely careful not to let anything slip about yourself to… yourself." After pausing a moment to consider how confusing this could possibly get, the aged wizard continued, "I imagine that the reason the older you doesn't remember coming here at seventeen is due to a memory charm, which will have to be done before you return to your own time. You understand this, correct?"

"Yes." Remus said, knowing that any information he might take back with him could potentially change the course of history. He would not be a part of something so dangerous, so he fully agreed with a memory charm being placed on himself. "I'm a teacher now? Huh, guess my life turned out better than I'd expected it to."

Dumbledore felt slightly saddened at that, knowing that the young man's life had turned out no such way. There was nothing for it but the truth, though, so he continued. "The next person you need to know about is a young man in his seventh year by the name of Harry Potter."

Remus was shocked at the name. His friend James hadn't had any siblings or cousins, so was this the son of his friend? It had to be, taking all of that into account. He was suddenly a bit excited about the situation now that he knew he was to meet his best friend's future son. With a smile, he listened as Dumbledore continued.

"I imagine you've already worked out that he's James' son. He is also the son of Lily Evans." The Headmaster told him. Again, it wasn't really surprising because he figured those two, though they fight like nobody's business, would end up together in the end. "He's in Gryffindor and will be the one I assign to show the 'new' student around."

 _Here comes the hard part._  Dumbledore thought as he mentally and emotionally steeled himself for the depressing news he had to inform his old student. "Mr. Lupin… Lily and James Potter are dead."

Remus was suddenly feeling very frozen inside. Dead? His best friend had died? What had happened to him? When had it happened?

"They were killed by Voldemort after Harry's first birthday, because the Dark Lord believed the young Mr. Potter to be the predestined source of his downfall. Sirius Black was falsely accused of their murder and sent to Azkaban, where he spent nearly every year until Harry's second year here. Peter Pettigrew is the reason they are dead; he betrayed their location to Voldemort." Albus paused to let all of this sink into the stunned boy, feeling every inch of his age as he watched Remus' expression crumble at the news. "I know it's a lot to take in, and I will give you time to come to grips with it all once I've finished. For now, shall I continue?"

Remus had never lost someone close to him before, so having news like this dropped on him all at once made him feel as though his heart was being ripped from his chest slowly. He knew that it was best to hear it all at once, since time was of the essence here considering that the students wouldn't be in class all day and someone was bound to enter the hospital ward sooner or later, so he nodded that the Headmaster should continue, not trusting himself to speak.

"Voldemort is still very much alive to this day, as is the Order of the Phoenix." Remus already knew what that was, since he and his friends had been asked to take part in it during the summer before their seventh year. "The evil wizard was indeed right in thinking that Harry Potter would be his downfall. It was prophesized that the young man would be the only one who could kill him, and vise-versa. Harry has already faced him five times, and is still alive today through it all. We suspect that it will be this year that the final confrontation will take place, since Harry has turned seventeen. But that is a matter that you need not concern yourself with. Now that you know all of the facts that you need to know, are you ready to cast the glamour charm? Once that is finished I will need to go and tend to some things for your stay, so you will have plenty of time to wrap your mind around all of this."

"Alright, sir." The numb Remus responded. Shortly afterwards, Dumbledore and he concluded their discussion, cast the glamour and the elder wizard left, leaving Remus to his thoughts.

The young werewolf had a feeling that this would take more than a few hours to get used to. He just couldn't believe that everyone he knew had gone through all of this. James was dead, leaving behind a one-year old son with no mother or father, Sirius had been imprisoned in Azkaban for years accused of killing his best friend, they were betrayed by one of the only people they'd thought they could trust completely. Things were looking very dark in his future and he was wondering how his current self survived it all. He was extremely reluctant to come face-to-face with the older him who'd gone through these horrors, imagining how dead his own future eyes must look.


	2. The Meeting and The Bet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware Remus' eyes have been confirmed to be green, however I wrote this before there was proof of that and the color was still up in the air. Frankly, I like the idea of them being brown better anyway. Just to let you guys know in case someone gets confused or persnickety about it.

**Chapter Two**

**The Meeting and the Bet**

* * *

Harry was nervous and jittery as he made his way to the Headmaster's office. After being so abruptly called from Professor Lupin's lesson he couldn't help but let his mind run through all of the possible reasons as to why, all involving a certain snake-faced wizard who refused to bite the dust. He was worried for his friends' parents, worried for the entirety of Hogwarts in case there was some sort of attack happening. He couldn't seem to get his mind to calm down, and everyone who knew Harry Potter knew he was not a calm boy when it came to pressure. In fact, it was usually his panicked thinking that got him through all of his tough situations, including when he had faced Voldemort the many times.

As he came upon the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office, Harry paused.  _Shit, no one told me the damn password_. He thought with a groan, staring at the stone beast as if it were the source of all of his problems. He was surprised when, a few seconds later the statue sprung out of his way. Slightly confused, but assuming that Dumbledore had known he was there, the teenager took the spiral staircase up to the office door and knocked briskly.

"Come in." His headmaster said in a cheerful tone, and as Harry pushed open the door he discovered that the ever-present twinkle was still apparent in the aged wizard's eye. Now he was even further confused- if it were bad news, wouldn't the headmaster seem gloomier? Nevertheless, Harry took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk and waited patiently for the explanation as to why he was called upon. "Lemon drop, Mr. Potter?"

"No, thanks." He responded lightly and with a hint of impatience. "What did you need to see me for, sir?"

"Ah, always right to the point, my boy." The white-haired wizard said with a short laugh, intertwining his fingers together and sitting both hands upon his desk, giving Harry a serious look. "I must ask you to do me a favor, Mr. Potter. It's very serious."

"So, then, this isn't about Voldemort?" Harry asked in relief, letting out the breath he'd been holding when Dumbledore shook his head in the negative.

"Merlin, no! Nothing quite as dramatic as all that, I'm pleased to say."

"Then, what is it sir?"

"I need you to look after a new student of ours." Harry felt his temper rise slowly. He'd been called here  _urgently_  to look after a bloody new  _student_?

"Sir?" He asked testily, trying not to glare at his mentor.

"This is a student by the name of Remus Holmes. He's a transfer student from Durmstrang and has only just arrived today. We sorted him already and have discovered that he is a Gryffindor. The reason I am asking you to look after him, Mr. Potter, is because I believe he'll have trouble making friends. You're a very kind young man and I believe the two of you will get along famously, would you deny me this favor?" Dumbledore explained, peering at Harry in such a way that it made the boy feel slightly guilty for having gotten angry in the first place.

"No, Sir." He mumbled, staring at his feet instead of his headmaster.

"Splendid! I will just go and fetch him, then. Will you be so kind as to wait a moment?" The Headmaster asked happily, standing from his seat and not really waiting for a reply before he trotted out of the room.

"Sure, fine, I'll just wait right here then." Harry muttered sarcastically to the empty room as a whole.

He didn't really have a problem with helping a new student out. His issue lay in the fact that his being summoned to the headmaster had been so…  _dramatic_. As he waited for the headmaster to return, Harry began to study the room he'd been to so many times during his life. It was the picture of chaos, things strewn here and there in no discernible order. A few of the portraits were staring at him and whispering to their neighbors, others were ignoring him and some even had the gall to sneer at him. After catching sight of a particularly rude portrait, Harry and the old man- long dead if the clothes the man in the picture were wearing were any indication- had a glaring contest that was only interrupted by a cough from behind him.

The teenager stood and whipped around, coming face to face with someone eerily familiar and yet completely unknown. The boy before him looked about his age, and was about a head taller. His hair was a dusty blond, skin pale as the moon with dark brown eyes nearly the color of chocolate. Harry took in the Gryffindor robes that looked a bit raggedy on the thin frame of the other teenager, before turning his eyes to the faded scar that marked the side of his neck. It was so light you had to be looking extremely hard to see it. After a second, the raven-haired boy realized he was being rude and snapped to attention once again.

"Hello. I'm Harry Potter." He said, extending his hand in greeting.

Remus stared at the boy for a full minute, not realizing that he'd spoken until his expression turned to one of bewilderment. The teenager looked so much like James; it was as if he were looking at his best friend's twin. And the eyes- the eyes were nearly the exact shade of Lily Evans'. There were only two differences that he could make out that separated the two boys from each other. Where James had brownish black hair, Harry's was a bit on the midnight side. He assumed that he'd gotten that from James' family. Then there were the statures; Harry was shorter than his father had been at that age, though less thin, with broader shoulders.

"Remus Holmes." He muttered, grasping the proffered hand and shaking it shortly. It was just weird to be standing before the son of his best friend who happened to be his age. Though they looked alike, the werewolf still wasn't able to connect that  _this_  was his friend's son.

Harry was a bit confused now. When he'd introduced himself he'd fully expected to either be revered, like by most that met the 'boy-who-lived', or sneered at like those who hated him. He didn't often get the blank look that indicated that the person on the receiving end of his greeting had no blinking idea who the hell he was in the first place. And seeing as this teen was a seventh year, he couldn't assume that he'd been raised by muggles and hadn't known. He'd attended Durmstrang, after all.

"Wonderful, you two are acquainted now. Mr. Potter, would you be so kind as to take Mr. Holmes to your next class? I've seen to his time table and he has all of your classes." Dumbledore said from behind them.

"Sure. C'mon, Remus." The raven-haired teen replied, turning toward the door to exit the room. "Bye, Professor Dumbledore."

"Goodbye, Mr. Potter and Mr. Holmes. I hope the two of you become fast friends!"

"Bye." Remus said simply before following the other teen from the room.

They didn't say anything for a while, just silently walked toward the Transfiguration class room, each caught in their own thoughts. Remus was still silently grieving over the death of his friends, and therefore didn't feel up to holding a conversation either way. Harry just couldn't seem to find anything to say to the 'new' kid, and so they stayed silent until it nearly became awkward for the raven-haired teen.

"So, what was Durmstrang like? I was able to learn a bit about it in fourth year, when the triwizard tournament was held here. From what I gathered it was a dark arts school mostly." Harry commented as they turned a corner and he narrowly avoided running into a speedy little first year.

"Yes, it was a rather dark and dreary place to be. I never liked it there, nor did I enjoy the courses they taught. I just don't have a dark gene in my body, it seems." Remus responded, momentarily amusing himself with the 'dark gene' comment, firmly stopping the smirk that was worming its way upon his features. Then a thought crossed his mind that made him falter. What was he going to do when the full moon arrived? He knew that the Headmaster already knew of his monthly issue, but they hadn't discussed it. Perhaps Dumbledore just needed time to think on it, seeing as he couldn't very well shack the younger wolf up in his elder self's lunar lodgings.

"The people there seem pretty uptight, as well." Harry replied, shaking his head at the memory of Krum and the disaster, in general, that fourth year had been.

"Yeah, they were the worst sort of people. Always looked down on anyone who didn't have an ego the size of the Atlantic. It's really a breath of fresh air to be away from that insanity." The werewolf replied with a grin.

The conversation stopped as the two came upon what Remus knew was the Transfiguration class room. He was glad that it hadn't changed locations since his time, as having to re-memorize the school after seven years of attending it would be quite bothersome. There were students milling about all around the closed door, half being Slytherins while the rest were Gryffindors. His companion led him over to two of their housemates, a girl with extremely wild hair that seemed to have a life of it's own and a boy that reminded him of someone in his own time, what with the red hair and freckles, although Remus was lost as to who it was.

"Hermione, Ron, this is Remus Holmes. He's just transferred from Durmstrang and Dumbledore felt the need to assign me as his guide until he gets used to things around here." Harry introduced.

"Hello, pleasure to meet you." The girl said, smiling at him brightly and readjusting her too-full book satchel.

"Hi." Was all the red-head said, extending a hand in greeting which Remus quickly shook. Hermione peered at him from behind the bushy mass on her head, a calculating gleam in her eye.

"So why did you transfer here so late in the year, Remus?" She asked and the werewolf could have sworn that there was a suspicious tone in her voice. Frowning, he responded with the first thing that entered his thoughts.

"I wasn't doing very well there, didn't enjoy their lessons. My parents thought that it would be a good idea to place me somewhere else before I failed and had to retake my last year."  _Well that was about as stupid as excuses go!_ Remus thought with a mental groan.  _Way to make someone trust you._

"Really?" Hermione cut through his mental berating, and the suspicion that was formerly veiled with politeness was no longer indistinguishable. Remus fidgeted and Hermione zeroed in on the action. She knew for certain now that the new student was hiding something and silently made it her goal to figure out what it was. She wasn't a vicious person by nature, but after years of being friends with 'the-boy-who-lived' she'd had to be twice as perceptive and cautious. Thinking to shrug off the matter for now, until classes were over and she had time to think privately, she continued in a happier tone. "Well, if you ever need help with your studies here, you're welcome to ask me."

"Yeah, Hermione's our resident bookworm." Ron said with a grin and Remus let out a silent breath of relief. He knew, from the gleam in the girl's eye, that he was going to have to be twice as cautious around her. He wondered if the three friends were well acquainted with his future self, and if so he was going to have his work cut out for him. He decided that later, after curfew and everyone went to bed, he'd have to sit and figure out a foolproof story for his life pre-time travel. He couldn't afford to think on his feet and let something inadvertently slip that could give himself away.

* * *

Remus had a headache. No, he had a  _fucking migraine_. Between the task of keeping up with the seventh year curriculum, which was  _completely_  different from the lesson plans during his time, trying to keep himself as anonymous as possible around Hermione and not let anything incriminating out, seeing so many familiar faces of people he knew but  _didn't_  because they were the bloody  _children_  of all of his  _class-mates_ , it was a wonder he hadn't had a mental breakdown on his first day. His first class, Transfiguration, he had met the teacher. Again. It was McGonagall, which was refreshing because at least he knew that some of the teachers were the same, whether the course work be or not, but it was extremely disconcerting to see a twenty-years-older version of his favorite professor.

Though he'd already been quite aware of the fact that he was no longer in his era,  _how could he not,_  the sight of the now nearly completely gray-haired woman had just served to drive home that fact at a startling level.  _He wasn't where he was meant to be_. And it left him feeling utterly alone in the world.

After the first class, which in its self hadn't gone badly, he'd come face-to-face with a person with features so distinctive there was no doubt to what lineage they belonged. Draco Malfoy was the impudent brat of Lucius, the sadistic bastard who enjoyed tormenting everyone in his own time. And apparently the apple didn't quite fall far from the tree, if this afternoon were any indication. The blonde and Harry seemed to be mortal enemies, which reminded Remus of James and Lucius in his own time. They had shot a few snide remarks at each other, both wearing similar expressions of righteous malice on their faces, before Hermione had managed to grab Harry and pull him away from the bastard. After that, Remus had to endure nearly two hours of Ron's gibbering about 'the git' and few, amusing though the werewolf didn't generally condone violence, stories of previous encounters between the two adversaries.

A few other things had sent a shock through his system, as well. After Transfiguration had been lunch, and during the meal he'd spied a glance at two people that he knew at the staff table. The first he'd caught sight of had been a tall, pale and snarky looking man wearing robes almost blacker than his hair. It was Severus Snape, and Remus was shocked at seeing him. He never would have thought given the torture the man had gone through during his own school years that he'd return and become a professor. A quick question directed toward his three baby-sitters and he'd learned that Snape was the potions master. That made a bit more sense considering how adept the man was at that course, even topping Remus himself in grades.

The next familiar face was a man, in between pale and tanned, with sandy light brown hair and amber-brown eyes, an easy smile on his face as he discussed something or the other with another professor. It was himself, older, but there could be no mistaking it. One thing he found amusing was that his older half had a mustache. Remus had been trying for three years to grow one, and never seemed to be able to. He wondered when it finally started to take off, or if he'd perhaps used a potion to aid it along. The next thing that he noticed about his older counterpart were the wrinkles that lined his face, and he was surprised to note that there were only a few less smile lines than there were frown lines. He couldn't imagine how he'd been able to go through the disaster that his life had turned into and still have the will to be happy every now and then. He found himself, oddly enough, admiring this older version for his pure will to live.

After that, he'd had History of Magic with Binns, who seemed to have died somewhere between his seventh year twenty years ago and now. Though he didn't like death on principal, especially after having been informed that everyone he knew was either dead or had been on the verge of it at one point, he couldn't really feel much remorse for the jolly ghost professor as he'd never been particularly fond of him. That had been the last class of the day and Remus was glad for it, as he had so much information bouncing around in his mind that he felt completely overloaded. He needed time to process it all, and the hour before he'd met Harry hadn't been nearly enough. He'd decided that he should keep everyone in this future at a distance, seeing as he wouldn't be here forever and wouldn't want anyone getting attached to him only to find that he would be gone eventually. Despite that, though, he found himself becoming fast friends with James' son, who was so much like his father.

Harry had many of his father's quirks, like he was on the quidditch team and seemed totally consumed with the sport, had an infatuation with a girl who seemed to want nothing to do with him (Some Asian girl that Remus hadn't caught the name of), loved to laugh and was often seen pranking his fellow dorm mates in many different ways, mostly with the help of Ron. The similarity between his best friend and his best friend's son made Remus gravitate toward him naturally. He felt as if he still had his friend when he was around Harry, and it made a portion of his loneliness fade.

After everyone had gone to sleep that first night, Remus sat up for two hours thinking over everything that had happened. He was still devastated over the news of James and Lily's deaths, Sirius' imprisonment in Azkaban and Peter's betrayal. He wanted, more than anything, to be able to retain this information and warn those closest to him of the danger that was coming soon. But he knew that it wouldn't matter, history had its course already and it was not for him to change it.

Still, he was a seventeen year old and though very mature for his age, he held a bit of irresponsibility when it came to things he was passionate about. The safety of his friends was one of those things. Perhaps he could research ways to block memory charms, so that when Dumbledore had to send him back and erase the information he learned, he'd be able to keep it all? No, that wasn't likely to work; as even before researching it Remus knew that there was no way for someone to disregard a memory spell. To even attempt to do so was bound to have disastrous, if not deadly results for the one attempting.

That was when he was struck by an idea that could possibly work. He quickly and quietly jumped from his bed, which had been added while he was in classes and situated between Ron and Harry's beds, and dug around in the trunk at the foot. Dumbledore had taken the liberty to buy him everything he'd need for his stay here; supplies for classes, some clothing and shoes as well as a bit of reading material of his own. Remus shifted through everything and finally snatched a roll of parchment, a quill and an ink jar from the contents. He was going to keep a log of everything he learned in the future that he wanted to change, starting with the most important.

* * *

The next day the quartet was sitting at breakfast, two discussing quidditch while Hermione read over a potions book and Remus contemplated silently to himself. A frustrated voice broke him from his thoughts and he tuned into the conversation taking place between the other two boys at the table, while Hermione just huffed, rolling her eyes and ignoring them completely. Obviously this girl was not a quidditch fan in the least.

"I'm telling you, we're doomed!" Ron cried, swinging his fork in exaggerated movements while he spoke. "Angelina and Alicia graduated, everyone who's tried out for the open chaser positions have been complete boneheads, and we've got a game coming up in a month. Timothy Douglas and Arnold Shepherd are  _not_  going to cut it this year, not if we want the cup. Now, we got lucky getting Dean and Seamus to play the beaters, as obviously those guys have some anger to vent and are good at it, but what are we going to do with the idiots who are only taking up space on the team? There has  _got_  to be at least one person better suited to the position. Getting rid of just  _one_  of those bloody morons would be an improvement!"

"I know, but it's not like I can just snap my fingers and instantly have someone competent apply! I may be the boy-who-lived but I'm not that bloody talented." Harry shot back with frustration, moodily stabbing at his eggs as if they'd done him a personal disservice.

"Honestly, you two act as if one lousy quidditch season is the end of the world. It's not everything, you know!" Hermione muttered, angrily flipping a page in her book. Ron and Harry huffed in disagreement.

"Just because you're scared shitless of anything relating to a broom doesn't mean you can criticize us for liking the sport, Hermione. It's the last time Harry and I will get to play for the team, we graduate after this year you know, we  _have_  to get the cup. It  _is_  a matter of life or death!" Ron growled at her, shoving his breakfast plate away from him roughly. Harry nodded in agreement and Remus just snorted in amusement at the goings-on.

"What, you going to agree with miss up-tight?" Ron barked at him, sending a heated glare at the silent boy. Remus sighed in resignation.

"No, I just never found much use for the sport myself. My friends at Durmstrang were about as obsessed with it as you two, though, and I found myself learning the game whether I wanted to or not. I imagine they're working themselves into a frenzy to be the best team there for their last year, as well." He replied calmly and with a slightly wistful tone. How he missed James and Sirius!

"Well I personally think this is childish. There are far more important things than  _flying_ , like the war and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! You two need to get your heads out of your arses and concentrate on what's important!" Hermione said fiercely, snapping her book closed and stuffing it in her pack, as if preparing to stalk off once she finished the task.

"Don't mind her; she never learned how to properly fly. Couldn't even get her broom to levitate in first year!" Ron whispered conspiratorially to Remus, who chuckled and quickly covered it with a cough when the girl's furious glare landed on him.

"If I wanted to, I could fly as well as nearly anyone in this school,  _Ronald_! I  _choose_  not to lower myself for the standards of Neanderthals such as you!" She grated out and Remus felt himself twitch as a mischievous idea was planted. He suddenly smiled, much too sweetly to be innocent, and looked Hermione dead in the eye.

"Then beat me, my dear."

Once a Marauder, always a Marauder.


	3. Suspicion and Secrets

**Chapter Three**

**Suspicion and Secrets  
**

* * *

_Marauder Era_

* * *

James, Sirius and Peter stared in shock at the now empty space in front of them. One moment they'd been kidding around with their best friend Remus Lupin and the next the boy had disappeared. They weren't sure what was going on, but they knew it wasn't good. James turned to Sirius and posed the question that was on each of their minds.

"What the hell just happened?"

* * *

_Present-Time_

* * *

"No, no, NO! You don't grasp the handle that hard, Miss Granger! Gently, _GENTLY_!" Madam Hooch shouted at the air-borne figure above her, face pinched in an expression of utter annoyance. Hermione gulped and loosened her hold on the wooden object, trying her best to keep her vision straight and to not look down. She didn't just have problems with _flying_ ; she was scared shitless of _heights_.

After the smug little prat had challenged her flying skills, she'd been determined to show the boys that she could do just as well as them, if not better. She'd originally asked Ginny to assist her in learning to properly fly a broom, but after a few days the girl had thrown her hands up and said that Hermione was a lost cause. Ignoring the girl's words, the bookworm had gone to the only other person she could think of to help her fly; Madam Hooch.

When she had explained to the flying teacher/Quidditch coach the situation, she'd been surprised to find how adamant the Professor was at helping her. Apparently the woman had decided that she didn't appreciate Hermione's friends 'looking down on her flying skills because she was a girl,' and had therefore been determined to see them wrong. They were working on their first flying lesson this afternoon, the boys off in Hogsmeade doing something or the other, and Madam Hooch found that she was reluctantly agreeing with their opinions of Hermione's flying skills. She didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings, but in her expert opinion… she was _doomed_.

They had been working at this for over an hour and so far the only thing they'd managed to accomplish was to get Hermione on the broom and fifteen feet off the ground. Every two minutes the teenager would lose altitude and fall back to the Earth on her rear. The only reason that the flying instructor hadn't called it quits so far was Hermione's sheer _will_ to do this and prove her friends wrong. Hooch had to respect her diligence on this matter, and found herself even more determined to help this girl succeed.

"Miss Granger, when is this fly-off to take place?" She asked, needing to calculate how long they had to work on this and figure out a schedule and lesson plan.

"In two weeks." Hermione told her, squealing as she lost concentration and slammed, bottom-first, into the ground. Groaning and standing once again, she glared at her broom with enough fury to nearly light it aflame.

Two weeks, then. _Well,_ Hooch thought as she looked at Hermione in exasperation, _it will take a miracle to get this girl ready in time, but any progress will be better than this._ First they would need to work on keeping the girl in the air for longer than three minutes, and then they'd go into actually _moving_ through the sky.

* * *

"I still can't believe Hermione accepted a flying challenge. I half expected her to say something nasty and beat Remus over the head with her copy of _Hogwarts: A History_." Harry told his two friends as they sat in The Three Broomsticks chugging butterbeer. Ron snorted and just barely stopped himself from spewing his beverage out through his nose, Remus patted his back as he began to cough a bit.

"Hermione sounds like a very violent person. She doesn't really come off that way to me, sharp-witted with a temper, sure, but bludgeoning someone because they're better than her at something?" Remus contemplated aloud, a thoughtful expression settling on his features. Harry shook his head in agreement with the statement.

"Yeah, she's got more bark than bite, but when she bites it hurts like a bitch." He conceded.

Finally catching his breath and briefly glaring at his two friends for all but ignoring his near-death situation, Ron responded; "I can't wait to watch it, personally. Are you actually good at flying, mate, or were you just talking big?"

"Oh, I'd say I'm fairly decent on a broomstick. My friends used to coerce me into playing practice quidditch games with them during breaks from school. They're two of the roughest quidditch players you'll ever meet, and with people like the Bulgarian team that's saying something." Remus responded, a fond smile gracing his features as he thought back on his sixth year with James and Sirius. "They used to have this tradition of pulling a prank on whatever team they'd be up against before the game, that way they increased the morale for their own team and smacked the other out of sorts. It was really amusing when the season rolled around."

"Sounds bloody fantastic! We should do something like that, Harry!" Ron said excitedly, bouncing in his seat as he thought of all the possibilities. Harry began to look a bit nervous at the gleam in his friend's eye. It wasn't that he disliked the idea its self, but Ron tended to go a bit overboard when it came to pranking people. Harry figured that he'd gotten a bit of the jokester DNA that was left over from his twin brothers.

"I don't know about this, Ron…" Harry mumbled, watching as his friend waved a dismissive hand at his doubtful tone.

"Oh, sod off. It'll be fine, no, more than fine, it'll be brilliant! Now, our first game is against Ravenclaw. What shall we do, Remus? You spent years with people pulling pranks at Durmstrang, you've gotta have some idea."

"Well…" Remus began to explain a few of the pranks that he'd been in on with his best friends, telling Ron of the complexity of each and detailing the results. By the time he was done Ron's eyes were shining, and he had a feeling that he'd just done something akin to selling his soul to the devil. While he enjoyed a good prank every now and then, he was very focused on his studies most of the time. If the red-head's expression was any indication, Remus would be hard-pressed to pick up a book between being forced to regale the many Marauder pranks. This did not bode well.

* * *

The next day was Monday, and Remus was more tired than he could remember ever being. He'd spied a lunar calendar that someone working on Astronomy homework had left sitting about in the common room the night before and had discovered that the full moon for this month was in a week's time. Added to the strain of his body starting its usual changes, Ron had kept him up until the wee hours of the morning discussing plans for the humiliation of the Ravenclaw quidditch team. The young werewolf was seriously regretting ever mentioning the pranking that the Marauders did in the first place, and hoped that this would not become a nightly occurrence. Harry seemed to take pity on him that morning, keeping the red-head occupied with discussing other things of interest, and Remus found himself immensely grateful for the reprieve.

As they dragged themselves down to the Great Hall, Hermione caught up with them and looked nearly as bad as Remus felt. Her hair was more bushy than usual, her clothing rumpled as if she'd slept in them, and she had a large bruise on her chin. The boys stared at her for a moment before deciding that they valued their lives too much to ask outright why she looked like shit today.

They found seats at the Gryffindor table once they reached the Hall and all three began to pile on food, eating in a comfortable silence. After a few minutes Remus noticed that Hermione was nearly beating Ron with how fast she was eating, not to mention how _much_ , and decided that perhaps he could figure out a polite way to ask her what was wrong.

"Hermione? You seem a bit… different today. Anything wrong?" He inquired, eyeing the hash browns that she was savagely tearing through. At his words, she paused and turned a pointed state on him.

"I'm perfectly fine, Holmes. Thank you for asking." She responded acidly, and he suddenly got the feeling that she didn't like him overly much. Remus assumed that it was either because he'd challenged her skill at something, or that she was still suspicious of him. Deciding to let the subject drop, he returned to his own plate and only half listened to the conversation that Harry and Ron were involved in.

After they'd all finished gaining weight, they left and made their way to the first class of the day, double Potions. Remus was a bit nervous about this class, seeing as he and Snape had been loosely termed friends in his own time. He slightly worried that the potions master would be able to see through his façade and discover who he actually was. Of course, he also knew that the professor was a skilled Legilimins and that only added to his anxiety. He'd already decided that under no circumstances was he going to make eye contact with the teacher.

"Well, Snape looks more anal than usual. What do you think crawled up his arse and died today?" Ron muttered from beside him and he chanced a glance in the general direction that the red-head was peering. He caught sight of the, by now normal to him as he'd seen Snape numerous times at meals, billowing black robes. The expression on the man's face was absolutely livid and he also found himself wondering what'd set him off.

"Probably something to do with the Order-"

"RON!" Hermione and Harry snapped, the former slapping her hand over the teen's mouth to shush him. Harry shot a nervous glance at Remus, who knew what they were talking about already but didn't show any indication. He figured it was best to ignore Ron's slip up and pretend he didn't find anything interesting in their reactions, as he didn't want to draw anymore suspicion to himself than he was already getting from Hermione.

"Is the Professor normally not this cheery?" He asked curiously with a hint of sarcasm on the last word. Harry, Ron and Hermione seemed to deflate, each sharing a mutual sigh of relief that he hadn't questioned the incident. Harry snorted and shook his head at Remus' comment, turning an amused look at the wolf.

"Oh, he's usually a _very_ chipper person." He said sarcastically as Snape shoved the door open and barked at the students to hurry up and take their seats. The quartet filed in and took their place at the furthest row in the back, Ron and Harry on either side of Remus with Hermione beside Ron.

"Shut up your incessant yapping and pay attention!" The Potions Master thundered and the class instantly fell silent. "Today you will be attempting to make the Veritaserum potion; I shudder to think of the many ways in which you dunderheads will no doubt botch this up. The instructions are on the board, find a partner and get to work."

Hermione and Ron decided to work together, leaving Harry to partner with Remus. The two grabbed ingredients from the storage cupboard and set about preparing the base for the concoction. Harry had been put in charge of the raw materials while Remus was adding them and stirring, occasionally glancing at the instructions to make sure he was doing everything right. A quick glance to the side revealed Harry having problems with his dicing of the bat tails, ending up shredding the dehydrated ingredients. Remus sighed and grabbed his hand before the knife could make contact with the tail he was about to chop.

Harry bit his lip to keep the surprised noise in as he felt Remus' hand cover his own. The other teen's hand was warm and soft, with a very small amount of roughness about the pads of his fingers. Shaking off his contemplation into the land of hands, he turned his gaze upon the body part's owner in confusion.

"You're doing it wrong." Remus told him politely, gently prying the knife away from Harry as to not accidentally nick him. With the voice he usually reserved for the tutoring lessons he gave in his own time, he continued; "You have to hold the tail gently with your thumb and forefinger, and press down very cautiously with the knife or else it will crumble."

As Remus spoke, Harry observed what he was doing with the ingredient, noticing the difference between the way he himself had been slicing compared to his partner's technique. After making sure Harry grasped the concept Remus returned the cutting utensil to him and watched as he tried it out, smiling in approval once he discovered that the raven-haired boy understood how to do it on his own.

"You're good at potions, then?" His partner asked as he worked, keeping his eyes on the tail he was chopping while he awaited an answer.

"Mildly, I was second best in my previous school. I never really liked the subject, though. I prefer things like Ancient Runes and Defense." Remus told him as he picked up the glass stirrer and began a clock-wise motion with the liquid. He didn't catch the odd look that Harry shot him at his statement, but cringed once he realized what he'd just said. _Damnit_.

"I thought you were failing there, that's why you transferred here?" Harry asked suspiciously, and Remus cursed himself once more. This whole thing was just confusing him and he'd just gone and made another person question his authenticity! _And James and Sirius said_ I _was the smart one?_

"Err, well yes, but that was the only class I didn't completely botch." Even as he said it he realized it was an incredibly pathetic excuse, considering his mentioning that it was one of his least favorite subjects, why would he pass it instead of the ones he actually liked? _Merlin, this is not going well._ He thought in exasperation.

Harry let the subject drop after that, but continued to send him odd glances for the duration of the period. When their potions were complete, they were ordered to each take a small sample, only enough to last half a minute, in order to test the effectiveness of their brew. Harry saw this as his chance to figure out a few things about the mysterious new student, since now he was completely suspicious as to his reason for being there. Who wouldn't be if you'd been told one thing and then had that completely contradicted by the same person? Harry knew that there was something going on, he just wasn't sure what but he was going to find out.

Remus stared in shock at Snape after he'd made the announcement that they were to sample the truth serum. This was not good, not good at _all_! It was one thing to say something and make someone suspicious; you could deal with that with a few well-placed lies and reasoning, but to do so and then have to take a truth serum with the person that was suspicious? This was not going to turn out well! He quickly tried to figure out a way to get out of this predicament but was unable to think of anything that he could do, short of screwing up their potion and causing Harry to become even more suspicious.

Gulping down the panic attack that was just begging to be released, Remus took a small amount of the potion right after Harry did the same.

"I'll go first." Harry replied and Remus tried to figure out something to ask the boy. Then it hit him- he could ask him about anything, including his parents or Sirius. _Sirius!_ Where was Padfoot, anyway? All he had been told was that he'd been able to get out of Azkaban. Did Harry even know who he was, or had they never met? Suddenly he realized that he only had thirty seconds in which to ask his questions and he hurried to do so.

"Do you know Sirius Black?" Harry stared at him, stunned and frightened. His godfather was still under suspicion with the ministry, so he was loathe to answer anything about him in a public place, let alone to a near stranger, but he'd taken the Veritaserum and he couldn't lie! _Fuck!_

"Yes."

"Is he alright? Where is he?" Remus asked, excited to find out something about his best friend. Perhaps he could convince Dumbledore to let him go visit with the man? He had so many questions he needed to ask, things he needed to know in order to change once he returned. He completely ignored the look of fright that had taken over Harry's face and waited for the serum to do its job and force him to answer his questions.

What Remus would've known had he been thinking clearly, was that you can only ask one direct question at a time to someone under the potion's effects. If you asked multiple questions at once, the questioned would be able to choose which to answer. Harry's eyes narrowed at the werewolf, mentally calculating the time and realizing that after this it would be his turn to interrogate the wolf. And he couldn't wait for it.

"He's safe." Was his answer to the former question, Remus' brow furrowed and then he seemed to regain his common sense and realized that he'd just drew an ungodly amount of attention to himself with that line of questioning. "My turn. How the hell do you know Sirius?"

"I'm a friend of his." Remus bit out, refusing to let anything more incriminating slip past his lips. Harry glared at him disbelievingly.

"What are you hiding, Remus?"

Well, that was a broad question. What was he hiding, indeed? He could either state that he was Remus Lupin thrust into the future, or he could tell his _other_ secret, neither option being ideal. The werewolf bit his bottom lip, trying to keep either statement from coming out but he could tell that it was a losing battle. The Veritaserum was working hard against him, he felt the words literally lodged in his throat, being pushed by an imaginary force onto his tongue until he was pressing down so hard with his teeth that he could smell and taste the blood that was starting to flow from the bruised flesh. Harry repeated his question and that was all it took.

"I'm a werewolf."

* * *

_Marauder Era_

* * *

"I think we need to speak to Dumbledore." Sirius said, looking at James seriously. Sirius was naturally a care-free type of person, usually taking light of everything, but the latest event had pushed his flighty spirit straight out a ten-story window to fall to its utter demise at the ground below. James and he were seated in the common room of Gryffindor tower, trying to puzzle this out. The only thing they'd managed to determine about Remus' disappearance was that the messed up potion that'd fallen on him was the cause. Neither remembered what exactly they were supposed to be making, and neither cared, more concerned with the fact that their best friend was only Merlin knew where and needed their help.

"I don't know… I mean, think about it Sirius, you're a Black by name if nothing else. As soon as it gets out that something _you_ made in potion's class is the cause for the disappearance of a student, they're going to want you thrown away for the rest of your life." James told him, shifting uncomfortably in his seat on the red couch.

"I don't give a rat's ass about that! Moony's missing and it's _my_ fault, they _should_ lock me up!" Sirius raged, standing and throwing his hands into the air in frustration. "Dumbledore's the only one who can help us figure this out, if we can't go to him then what _can_ we do? Just give up on our friend and let him be lost for good?"

"No, I'm not saying that at all, Sirius! Would you just calm down for two seconds and _listen_ to me?!" James cried, standing and putting a calming hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You've got an idea of how to help Remus?" Sirius asked, shoulders slumping in relief. "What is it, then? What do we do?"

"We do what Remus would do in this situation. We hit the library." James replied solemnly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you guys know, I've already written twenty one chapters of this. I dunno how long it's going to end up being, exactly, but so far the word count is over 115k. If you would rather not wait til I can get each chapter posted here, you can go to FFnet and search for the story there. (Username and story title are the same there. All chapters up to 21 are already posted) Thank you all for reading my story~!


	4. Friendship and Monkeys Abound

**Chapter Four**

**Friendship and Monkeys Abound**

* * *

Remus grasped the ceramic sides of the sink he was using to support himself. Shortly after potions class he'd fled to the boy's lavatory in order to get himself under control. Panting, he went over that dreadful incident once more as he struggled with his anxiety attack.

" _What are you hiding, Remus?"_

 _Well, that was a broad question. What was he hiding, indeed? He could either state that he was Remus Lupin thrust into the future, or he could tell his_ _other_ _secret, neither option being ideal. The werewolf bit his bottom lip, trying to keep either statement from coming out but he could tell that it was a losing battle. The Veritaserum was working hard against him, he felt the words literally lodged in his throat, being pushed by an imaginary force onto his tongue until he was pressing down so hard with his teeth that he could smell and taste the blood that was starting to flow from the bruised flesh. Harry repeated his question and that was all it took._

" _I'm a werewolf."_

Gasping, the brunette-turned-blonde lifted his eyes to stare at himself in the mirror above the tap. Staring back at him was a very disheveled teenager, eyes wide with increasing panic, chest heaving from the task of trying to drag oxygen into his lungs.

Hogwarts looked the same, retained many of the same teachers and ghosts, but it was different. _Everything_ was different and Remus _did not_ belong in this future. Feeling so out of place, he couldn't help but stare into the only thing that hadn't been completely altered in this world turned upside down; his eyes. They were a few shades darker than before, but he could still see himself there. They were the only thing normal and familiar to him anymore, and he relished the comfort of normalcy. He realized, now that he was alone for so long, that what had truly made Hogwarts his home and safe haven had been the Marauders. He'd never known how much he cherished his friends, their easy acceptance of him and his faults, until he'd had to go without them. It had only been three days, but already he felt himself floundering without their support. Remus found himself wondering how they were doing without him there; were they failing all of their courses? Did they even know he was gone, or had time frozen until his return? With so many questions and so much uncertainty was filling his head, he had to blink a few times to chase away a wave of dizziness at being overloaded.

The issue arose again; he'd spilled his secret. And that's what had him so out of sorts, he was used to people being kept in the dark about his curse, he'd only went through someone finding out twice in his life. The first time he refused to acknowledge, even to himself. The second was when he'd realized that not everyone hated people who had his condition, it was when the Marauders had become even more dear to him with their acceptance and refusal to think of him as anything other than himself. He'd never felt so much like a part of something, like he was vital in the grand scheme of things, but they'd shown him differently. A stab of pain entered his heart when he thought of his future, _their_ future. And Peter. One of the only people he'd ever learned to trust was destined to rip everything he loved away from him, and he was expected to be fine with this? Dumbledore thought that he could just go through life ignoring what had happened, what was _going_ to happen, until he had his memory erased and was sent back?

 _I refuse to do nothing about this!_ Remus thought to himself furiously, _If there is any way at all to stop this from happening, I'll find it. I'll save them all!_

* * *

Harry was stunned. He'd expected something along the lines of 'I'm a death eater in disguise, here to destroy you.' What he'd gotten instead was the last thing he'd imagined; therefore he'd had no ready reply to that. Remus and he had not spoken a word to one another after the confession, and when Potions was let out the former had run off in a hurry. Hermione was badgering him to tell her what had happened and he had an inkling that she was suspicious of the other teenager, just like he himself was. Now he had no idea what to do, and figured it would be best to speak with Dumbledore about this immediately. The headmaster most likely already knew of Remus' condition since the man knew about nearly everything in the castle. What Harry was more concerned with wasn't that Remus was a werewolf, which didn't bother him at all thanks to his being good friends with Professor Lupin, it was that there were so many holes in the other teen's story. If anyone knew the answers to all of his questions, it would be Dumbledore.

Because of all that Harry found himself ditching Herbology in order to immediately take this issue up with the headmaster. Hermione hadn't been happy in the least about his skipping class, but had reluctantly encouraged him to go and figure out what was going on. He hadn't told her what Remus had admitted to him during Snape's lesson, nor had he expressed his concerns with her over the boy's authenticity, but she seemed to already know. Before he knew it, Harry was standing in front of the stone gargoyle that protected Dumbledore's office. Quickly thinking it over, the teenager started listing off various candies until one hopefully worked.

"As of late I find myself drawn to Canary Creams. Such a delightful invention, don't you think Mr. Potter?"

Harry whipped around when the voice began speaking and found himself face to face with the headmaster himself. Frowning, Harry opened his mouth to begin explaining his reason for being there.

"Ah, why don't we go into my office before discussing such a… fragile topic?" Dumbledore interrupted before the green-eyed boy could get a single syllable out. Nodding in agreement, the boy followed Dumbledore up into his office where he took a seat and politely declined the offer of tea.

"So you already know why I'm here, Sir?" Harry asked once Dumbledore had seated himself at his massive and cluttered desk. The older wizard brought his hands together and peered at Harry over his half-moon spectacles, looking completely serious suddenly.

"Yes, I imagined that it would not take long for Mr. Holmes to arouse your suspicions. Tell me, Mr. Potter, what it is that you would like to know exactly?"

"During Potions class," Harry began slowly, deciding not to bring up the topic of Remus' lycanthropy in favor of the greater issue, "Remus asked questions about Sirius."

"Ah, yes, I imagine he did. Mr. Holmes and Mr. Black have a past that is, unfortunately, no one's business except their own. Mr. Holmes does not intend any harm on either yourself or your godfather, Mr. Potter, of that you can be assured." Dumbledore said gently, looking at the teen with a knowing gleam in his soft eyes. "As for your inability to trust him, I am sure he has led you to doubt the things he has told you of himself?"

Not at all shocked that the headmaster had known that Harry was distrustful of the person in question, the teen nodded in agreement. There were contradictions to everything Remus said and it made the task of believing his words infinitely hard. Dumbledore paused to think for a moment, and then continued.

"I know that it is hard for you to let anyone close to you, Mr. Potter, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that there is no reason at all for you to consider Mr. Holmes a threat. He is just a normal teenage boy like you, with the added burden of things he can speak to no one about." Pausing again to make sure Harry understood the gravity of what he was saying, Dumbledore smiled gently and finished, "Some secrets are better left remaining just that, but be assured that I know all about Mr. Holmes. I'd ask you to trust, if not him, then me. Do not exile him because a few things are not adding up, just believe that he is a good person and offer him your friendship as you did the day you two met."

Harry knew that Dumbledore had a knack for seeing how a person truly was, even if he didn't know them personally, and so he had to concede the issue. If the headmaster said that there was nothing wrong with Remus, then there mustn't be. He'd learned by now not to question Dumbledore's judgment, as he was proved wrong when he initially thought that Snape was a traitor.

Toward the end of the summer between sixth and seventh year, Harry had been awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of someone apparating into the Dursley's home. This was extremely unusual, as there were no wizards or witches living in his immediate vicinity. He'd been instantly put on guard and had cautiously, armed with his wand, went to the kitchen to investigate where the noise had originated from. Inside that room he'd found the dark figure of Snape, clad in his death eater robes, who was there to warn him that Voldemort had sent a small group of followers to Surrey to locate him. The Potions Professor had then whisked Harry off to Hogwarts to save both the Boy-Who-Lived and his relatives from the horrors that were bound to happen when the other death eaters found them.

Ever since that night the potions master had received every ounce of trust Harry could give him. That was the main reason he was going to put aside his doubts about Remus for Dumbledore.

"Yes, sir, I understand and will do as you say."

* * *

Do you ever get the feeling that there's something you're missing? That's how Hermione felt whenever the new Gryffindor, Remus Holmes, was brought up. He'd seemed a bit shifty, in her opinion, from the very first time she saw him. Now Harry was suspicious as well, though he wouldn't tell her what had happened to make him distrust the other male. If Hermione were honest, the boy hadn't really done anything specific to arouse doubts in her, but she'd learned to be on guard with anyone she didn't know well or trust explicitly and there seemed to be something just radiating off of him that said he was hiding _something_.

Added to that, after Potions had let out earlier in the afternoon and Harry had spoke of his desire to speak with the headmaster about Remus, the boy had up and disappeared and hadn't returned from wherever he'd run off to. That made the girl ever more edgy; knowing that there was something she was supposed to be catching but couldn't seem to grasp it despite herself. It was also a large blow to her pride, since she held her wit and cleverness above all else in her life. Hermione briefly entertained the notion of running the issue by Ron, but then decided that it wasn't worth overloading the poor boy who was already up to his ears in NEWT level homework. The two friends were seated in the common room, Hermione in one of the two chairs that sat adjacent to the hearth, Ron sitting at the study table against the wall, trying furiously to complete his work at a speedy rate. The girl had decided that she was going to wait until Harry got back from Dumbledore's office, and then she was going to extract the truth from him. After all, if anyone knew what a seventeen year old boy who attended Hogwarts was hiding, it'd definitely be the headmaster.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, Harry wandered in through the portrait hole looking pensive. Frowning, Hermione watched as the teen walked over to the couch and sank into it heavily, looking for all he was worth like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders in that one instant.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked softly, standing from her seat and moving to sit beside the troubled boy. Harry looked at her seriously for a moment before shaking his head.

"Where's Remus?" He asked instead, peering around the common room as if to check and make sure he wasn't there among the many students milling about. Hermione looked at him closely for a moment, frown deepening.

"No one knows as he just sort of disappeared after Potions let out. Harry I can tell that something's bothering you, why won't you tell me? Does it have to do with Remus? What did the headmaster say to you? Is… Is Remus someone we should keep an eye on?" She pressed, needing to know if he'd found out anything that would prove her theory correct. Harry's eyes hardened as his gaze met Hermione's once more, causing her to gasp from the ferocity dwelling within those emerald eyes.

"What the headmaster and I discussed is none of your business, Hermione. Leave it alone and don't ask me again." He growled, shooting up from the couch, fists clenched in annoyance at the way Hermione was talking about Remus. He'd noticed that the girl didn't seem to particularly like the blonde teen, but that gave her no right to act as if he were a criminal, as he'd noticed her doing the past few days. Sure, he knew that something was a bit off about the boy himself, but the headmaster's words were still ringing in his ears and he trusted his mentor with ever fiber of his being; if Dumbledore said that Remus was trustworthy, he wasn't going to let himself or anyone else imply otherwise. Stalking to the portrait hole once more, he shot back at the stunned girl still sitting on the couch, "I'm going to look for Remus."

After exiting the Gryffindor common room, Harry found himself at a loss. He didn't know the missing teen overly well, so he had no clue where to start in his search. He figured he could just ask around, see if anyone had spotted Remus recently, and go from there. He was determined to find the boy, who was slowly starting to become his friend, and make things right. He didn't want him to think that just because he'd been forced to confess to being a werewolf Harry was going to think any differently of him.

* * *

Remus had finally gotten a hold of himself an hour ago, and since then he'd done everything in his power to avoid being found by the trio of people who never seemed to leave him alone. Until his secret had been spilled, of course; now he hadn't seen hide or hair of them since Potions class, four hours previous. He'd expected it though, as the general public didn't accept people with dark afflictions like his own, and tended to shun them. There were only a select few who didn't mind things like this, didn't think any differently of the person except that they had an illness that wasn't their fault. He had hoped that the future would be different, but the reaction Harry had given at his admission had only proved that prejudices against people like him would always be around, since twenty years wasn't enough to even make a dent in the wall of hate and persecution.

Staring at the book he'd been pretending to read for an hour and a half, Remus sighed in a depressed manner, the air around him nearly feeling stifling from the feeling of hurt that was aching in his chest and being projected outward. The words on the page in his book blurred, and Remus felt the prickling sensation behind his eyes that always indicated tears. He roughly pushed them away, refusing to cry for something that was so idiotic. So people hated those like him, big deal, they had done so all his life and for hundreds of years before that. He wasn't the first in this situation, and wouldn't be the last, so what was the use in self-pity when it got him nowhere, changed his situation to no extent? Further thought on the subject brought a surprising reaction from him, not sure from where it originated, which seemed to make him feel a bit more like himself- although slightly more insane than normal. He laughed at the stupidity of the world in which he was born.

That's how Harry found him; sitting at the base of the willow tree next to the lake, the one that wasn't spelled to beat you to a pulp if you neared it, knees drawn with a book resting lightly against them, shoulders shaking, head thrown back and laughing so hard his face was red, tears of mirth rolling down his cheeks in small intervals. Remus looked the picture of a happy student, but Harry could sense that his outward reaction to the day's events had no bearing on the one inside. Once the teenager seemed to gain control of himself, using the sleeve of his Gryffindor robes to wipe away the tear residue on his cheeks, he noticed his silent audience and stiffened noticeably. Harry moved to sit beside Remus, back resting against the bark of the old tree, and frowned when he noticed the small flinch from the teen beside him.

"Remus, I'm sorry." Harry began slowly, "I didn't mean to make you tell me that in Potions today. Sirius is my godfather and I'm very, probably overly, protective of him. When you started asking those questions… well it put me on the defensive."

Remus stared at Harry as if he'd grown a new head. He couldn't fathom why the raven-haired teen was out there with him, apologizing for making him reveal something through truth serum, when the issue was still at hand that he was a werewolf. Not letting the tension roll off of him, expecting at any moment to hear a snide remark about his lycanthropy or possibly to get hit for it, he drew his arms around his chest in a defensive manner that Harry instantly picked up on.

"I don't care that you're a werewolf, if that's what you're afraid of. I know someone already who's in the same situation as you are, and they're a very good friend of mine." The Boy-Who-Lived said lightly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder in a reassuring manner. Remus stiffened even more, if possible, before letting down his guard marginally. He knew there was something he'd liked about Harry. The boy was one of the rare people who would still look at him, after knowing his secret, as a human. "In fact, it's kind of ironic, but you've both got the same name. Isn't that funny?"

Harry seemed to pause and consider his words himself, thinking on what an oddity it was to find two people by the same first name, which wasn't a common name at all, with the same illness. As his face began to look contemplative, Remus panicked and hurried to distract the teen, lest he figure out just how _funny_ the connection was, and because he had little to no time to think about the words before they came out of his mouth, ended up saying something he knew he would regret at a later interval.

"I want to try out for one of the chaser positions." He garbled and Harry came back from his daze, looking over at him in confusion.

"What was that? Sorry, but you kind of jumbled that sentence." He said. Now it was Remus' turn to appear confused; had those words just came out of his mouth? Thinking on it for a moment, he decided that though he detested Quidditch, it would give him an opportunity to get closer to both Harry and Ron, give him a chance to create a friendship so that they would no longer be suspicious of him. (Not that Ron had ever been, since he didn't seem capable of looking at anything deeper than from its surface.) Remus repeated;

"I want to try out for the Quidditch team."

* * *

The next day found Remus seriously regretting his decision. Sure, it'd seemed like a good idea at the time, but once he'd had a full night's rest he realized that he was utter rubbish at playing the chaser position. That only left him with one option, and that was to practice, as he had to do for his competition with Hermione in any case. He'd woken up early that Tuesday in order to do just that before lessons began, since he didn't have a class until nine anyway. So here he was, mounting a broom that he'd nicked from the storage shed, eyeing the balls that he was preparing to release into the air. He figured that he'd release one bludger to begin with, along with throwing the quaffle around a bit and through the goals while he attempted to dodge the fast-paced black ball that was intent on giving everyone it met with a concussion, or at least a migraine. Flipping the latch that held the struggling ball in place, Remus ducked back when it flew immediately into the air. Afterwards he grabbed the brown ball that was used to score points and took to the sky.

He'd been at it for little under fifteen minutes, having many close calls with the bludger, before he heard a frantic shout from his left.

"Above you!"

Moving just in time, he avoided the collision that had almost taken place with the aggressive bludger. Seeing that it was flying off in a completely different direction than to him, Remus glanced toward where the shout had originated and was surprised to see a smirking Harry standing at the edge of the field, dressed in his quidditch robes. Momentarily stunned at the picture he made, wind blowing his wild hair even wilder, propped against his broom casually, and that tilt of the lips, Remus failed to answer back for a long moment before he suddenly shook himself to dispel the daze.

"What are you doing here?" Remus shouted back at him to be heard over the roar of the breeze. Harry didn't answer at first as he swung himself onto the broom, which Remus figured must have been a new model since he'd never seen anything like it before, and flew up to his level in surprising time. The teen eyed the broom with awe, having never seen one that moved so fast, and then turned his gaze to his companion who finally spoke with a grin.

"I came out for a bit of a ride, as I always do when class is later in the day. Why are you out here dodging bludgers?" His question was returned.

"Figured I'd get some practice in. My friends used to tell me that I'm utter rubbish at playing chaser, but I'm serious about joining the team so I need to get better, right?"

"You didn't look that bad from where I was standing," Harry said, his gaze turned as he kept an eye on the black ball that tended to hit you when you least expected it. Fortunately for Remus, he missed the blush that darkened the teen's cheeks at the veiled compliment. "I actually think you were doing better than Angelina Johnson at dodging those little bastards, and that's saying something as she was the best chaser we've had in a while."

"I'm certainly not that good, Harry." Remus denied as he altered his position by a few feet when the bludger headed past him. The raven-haired teen shook his head in obvious disagreement, but didn't reply. "What position do you play for the team?"

Remus knew that James had a passion for being a chaser, and he was damned good at it, but from what he'd heard all of the positions on the team were filled. That left Remus to believe that although Harry had inherited his love of the game from his father, he'd not gotten the gene for being a chaser.

"I'm the seeker, have been since first year." Harry replied with a nostalgic smile and Remus looked at him in surprise at how young he'd been, "Seven years I've been on this team, that's what makes getting the Cup so important to me. This is the last year that I'll fly for Gryffindor, and I want my name to be put into the trophy case alongside my father's."

"Your dad won the cup for Gryffindor?" Remus asked, momentarily shocked to hear Harry speaking of James. It was the first time he'd ever mentioned his parents, and it was a little weird at best to have the fact that he was speaking to his best friend's son all the more clearly ingrained in the situation. He smiled at Harry's nod. "He must have been something else."

"So everyone tells me." Was the response, heavily laced with pain, before the teen seemed to shrug it off. "Well, since we're both out here, why not practice together?"

Remus accepted his offer, and two hours later found the duo trudging to their first class, snorting with laughter, while Ron and Hermione looked on in confusion. The two had gotten closer during their private practice session, and their friendship had been further cemented by a single incident.

"I can't believe you-" Harry paused, losing himself in another burst of chuckles before he could continue.

"Hey, that bludger was headed straight for my head! It was the only option I had left!" Remus replied, putting on a show of being indignant while his shoulders shook with suppressed mirth. Harry bit down another wave of laughter in order to respond with a slightly choked tone.

"But really, jumping from your broom and hanging off the goal like a monkey? You could've been killed!"

"But I wasn't and after you figured that out for yourself, you laughed your arse off before helping me!" Remus shot back, whacking Harry upside the head as he'd done every time he was reminded of how long it took to get off the goal post due to his friend's lapse in composure.

"Oh come on, I apologized for that already, what more could you want?" Harry asked, smiling as they trudged down the corridor, ignoring Hermione pointedly when she tried to cut into their discussion. He was still angry at her for the day before, and until she outright apologized and accepted Remus into their group, he wasn't going to stop giving her the cold shoulder.

"Hmm… ten big boxes of Honeyduke's finest chocolate should make me forgive you." Remus responded jokingly.

"Would you like flowers with that as well, dear?" Harry deadpanned and Remus went into a laughing fit.

"No, you're only to buy me flowers on our first date, and my favorites are white roses so memorize it, darling." Remus replied mock-seriously.

"Duly noted, sweetheart!" Harry stated with a grin.

"You two are starting to make me concerned for your sanity." Ron murmured from behind them and they had to physically stop and lean against each other to stay standing through their chuckle-fits. After a minute they calmed down and finally regained their composure, not to mention their breath. Hermione stared at the two, not fully understanding what was going on. _It's like they're flirting or something._ She thought, before rendering that line of thinking as ridiculous and grabbing Harry's arm to stall him. The other two paused and looked at her in confusion.

"Harry, I'm sorry." She said softly, squeezing his forearm reassuringly as she spoke. She didn't trust Remus as far as she could throw him, and wouldn't stop trying to figure out the truth, but she didn't want to lose her friend along the way. "I shouldn't have acted like that yesterday."

"Bloody right you shouldn't have." Harry said stiffly, before relaxing and giving her a small smile. "But I forgive you anyway."

After receiving a joyful hug from the girl, Harry and the others continued to their first class, Remus and Ron still left in the dark as to what that whole incident was about in the first place. As they were piling in behind the other students to take their seats, Remus bumped into someone behind him and immediately turned to apologize, only to come face to face with himself.

"No, it was my fault. Alright there?" Professor Lupin asked with a concerned smile, before it dropped and he looked at Remus closely for a full minute. Remus' right eye twitched and it seemed to break him out of his spell. "I'm sorry, but you look astoundingly familiar. Have we met before?"

"No, sir." Remus responded quickly, only slightly amused to be calling himself 'sir', "Not that I know of. I'm-"

"Mr. Holmes, yes, I know. I was informed by Albus of your transfer on Monday. Shame you didn't have a class with me that day, as it's a pleasure to meet you." The Professor said with a smile, extending a hand in greeting. As Remus took the proffered hand he and the teacher both winced, a painful shock emanating from where their skin touched. The teen made a mental note not to come into any physical contact with his older counterpart, knowing that it was the reason for the reaction. "I'm sorry, must be static from my robes. I just had them pressed."

"It's alright, no harm done." Remus said, then took his seat beside Harry as Professor Lupin accepted his response and walked to the head of the rows of desks to begin lessons. He could feel Hermione's eyes on him from her seat between Ron and Harry but chose to ignore it, while mentally noting that she was going to be a problem if she kept this up. Ron looked at him over Harry's head and grinned excitedly.

"Are you really going to try out for the team, mate?" He asked and Remus assumed that Harry had told the red-head about earlier.

"Yes, I'm going to _attempt_ to make the chaser position." Remus responded and the teen beside him snorted, joining in on the conversation.

"Bloody attempt to? Ron, he's the best chaser I've seen since Angelina." Harry cut in and the werewolf found his cheeks heating again. He didn't do well with compliments, as he had gotten so few in his life he hardly knew how to respond to them. "You'll see how good he is when he flies against Hermione, and after that I intend to give him one of the spots and boot out Arnold, since he's the worst of the two idiots."

"I'd nearly forgotten that Hermione and he were going to compete, this just makes it all the better! Thank you for saving our team, Remus!" Ron exclaimed, reaching around to pat him on the back good naturedly.

But Remus didn't respond, the professor beginning the lesson, as he suddenly felt like he was the one that needed saving, not the other way around.


	5. Friendly Competition and Truths Revealed

**Chapter Five**

**Friendly Competition and Truths Revealed**

* * *

The quartet were seated in the common room three days later, Ron and Remus engaged in a match of wizard's chess while Harry watched from the sidelines, glancing back and forth between the game and the Quidditch magazine he was skimming through. Hermione was on the couch, leaning over the table in front of her as she worked on her Ancient Runes homework. The common room was buzzing with activity, many students laughing and exchanging gossip while others were working on their homework load for their NEWT classes.

"Hey Hermione," Ron called from his seat at the chess set, pausing to pin Remus with his bishop in check, "Did you finish your Defense essay?"

"Yes, Ron, I have it complete, and no you may not copy it." The girl responded without looking away from her work. Harry glanced at Ron in amusement before eyeing Remus' chess pieces as he made a brilliant move.

"Damnit," Ron swore as he found himself now in check. Playing Harry had been fun since the green-eyed wizard was a novice, at best, and while the red-head enjoyed a good challenge every now and then, Remus was completely kicking his ass. It was humiliating to him as he prided his chess skills above most things. "Why'd Lupin have to pile us with a five foot essay, anyway? Between everything else we're doing, and the extra classes Harry's taking, you'd think he of all people would cut us some slack."

"He's a professor, Ron; he's just doing what he must in order to have us properly prepared for our exams at the end of term." Hermione lectured, scribbling something quickly before glancing up at her friend, "Personally I applaud him for being a competent teacher, regardless of grumpy students."

"Yeah, well you would, wouldn't you? Bloody crush you have on him and everything." Ron grumbled as his pawn took out one of Remus' rooks. Remus stared at Ron in confusion at his words, and slight horror mixed into it. Hermione was infatuated with his older self? Well wasn't _that_ ironic.

"Hm, personally I don't mind the extra work." Harry mumbled from behind his magazine. "It pays to be well prepared, especially during these times."

"Who are you and what have you done with my procrastinating best friend?" Ron shot at him with a frown, and then cursed again when he once more found himself in check.

"I _am_ your best friend, Ron. I've just recently realized that there's a life outside of Hogwarts, and it would be a shame to be unprepared for it." The teen shot back, snapping his magazine closed as he peered at his friend. "You and Hermione know as well as I that I don't have the luxury of ignoring my duties forever. Eventually everything is going to catch up with me, and I won't be at fault for not being ready."

His two friends realized at once that he was speaking of his prophesized battle with Voldemort. Hermione looked depressed all of a sudden, choosing to ignore her essay in favor of moving to comfort her friend. She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at Ron beseechingly. After staring dumbly at her expression for a minute, Remus staring at all three of them in bewilderment, Ron rose and stood beside Harry, looking at him encouragingly.

"It'll be alright, mate. You're going to win, and we're going to help you do it." Ron said quietly, so as not to arouse wandering ears. Hermione nodded firmly.

"Don't forget that you're not going into this alone, Harry. We're going to support you all the way, until the very end, so we can tell you that we told you so when you blast that bastard to kingdom come."

Both Harry and Ron stared at Hermione in shock for a few moments, unused to hearing the girl curse. She blushed at realizing why they were staring, but held firm to her statement. Remus started to quietly fidget with his hands, feeling a bit left out as the three spoke in hushed voices. He was surprised, however, when Hermione shot him a look of malice over her shoulder before taking Ron's arm and moving away from Harry to the other side of the common room. Raising an eyebrow in question, Remus turned his gaze on the only one of the trio still around him, only to be pinned down by utterly serious green eyes.

"Come with me." Harry stated, leaving no room for protests if Remus had any. The two stood and headed up the stairs to the boy's dormitory quietly, entering their room and seating themselves on the closest bed to the door which happened to be Harry's. They sat for a few minutes in uneasy silence, Remus knowing that there was something important that the other boy was going to tell him, and Harry trying to figure out the right words to say, also wondering if this was the right thing to do at all. After another minute of the uncomfortable quietness, Remus decided to break the ice.

"Harry? Something you want to talk about?" He questioned gently, wondering what all of this was about.

"Yes. When you first met me and I introduced myself, did you know who I was?" Harry queried softly. Remus froze; had Harry found out that he was lying about who he was? Did he know the truth, and that's why he asked that question? Seeing it as the only reason that the teen could have to ask something like that, Remus decided on answering honestly.

"Yes, I did."

"Then you know that I'm the one who is destined to defeat Voldemort?" The boy questioned further, not meeting the other teen's eyes, and the werewolf frowned. What did Harry mean by that?

"What?" He asked in confusion, staring at the side of Harry's face since the other hadn't turned to look at him. Harry himself was momentarily confused, before figuring that he should just start from the beginning and go from there.

"When I was a year old, Voldemort came to my house and murdered my parents. He tried to kill me as well, but didn't succeed. What he didn't know at the time was that I am the person who was prophesized to be his destroyer." Harry stopped to let Remus digest that bit of information, keeping his eyes averted as he told his story. "Professor Trelawney predicted it years ago, and since then the entire world has looked at me like I'm some kind of bloody celebrity. I never asked for it, yet constantly through my life up to this point I've been alternately hailed as either a hero or a bad guy. I can't stand it."

Remus placed his hand on Harry's shoulder in a comforting manner as the boy started to get worked up, feeling sad for how the teen's life had been. Harry didn't relax and Remus realized, with some measure of dread, that he wasn't finished speaking.

"After that Dumbledore sent me to live with my mother's family, her sister and brother-in-law. They were a horrible couple who coddled their only son to no ends, while they sneered at me and left the chores in my hands." Remus' hand clenched on the boy, a growl rising in his throat as he thought of how the insufferable Petunia Evans would have treated his best friend's son. That woman had been a thorn in their side for years, always insulting them whenever they met her as they left the station. "My room was the fucking cupboard under the stairs, for Merlin's sake!"

"That's completely horrendous." The blonde spat, shaking his head. "How could they do that to someone who'd just lost everything?"

"They didn't care; I wasn't a person to them. Originally they even refused to let me go to Hogwarts. Hagrid himself had to come and retrieve me personally, and after that they only got worse. Dumbledore threatened my aunt with something or the other and in response she finally gave me my own room, but their mannerisms stayed pretty much the same. I was to be seen only when I was doing something productive, like serving their food or cleaning their house. If I hadn't any chores left to do, they locked me in my room. I only ever ate when I was able to sneak out and nick something for myself. Last year was the end of that, though, and it's not important to what I brought you here to say anyway. I just wanted you to know that I'm telling you this because I trust you, and I believe you should have an idea of what you're getting into by offering me friendship."

Remus frowned at the side of Harry's face, tilting his head to try and see his expression better. It was no good, for as much as he tilted, Harry turned his face. Sighing, the werewolf gave up.

"Well then, tell me what you need to say Harry."

"You might regret that." Harry muttered in response with a grim smile, rubbing his hands against his knees nervously. He liked Remus, enjoyed his company, and didn't want their newfound friendship to end as he knew it would when he told the other the truth. "Voldemort knows now that I'm supposed to off him, so every year of my life since I was eleven he attempts to kill me before that can happen. My friends end up getting hurt or killed during these events, Remus."

"That's not your fault, Harry." The teen said in a gentle tone, knowing that guilt was eating away at his companion just by the tone of his voice. He stood, moving to sit on his haunches in front of the other, placing his hands overtop Harry's as he continued. "You mustn't think that anything that deranged maniac does is your fault. None of your friends, dead or alive, would want you to feel that way."

"I just… wanted to give you the option to walk away, Remus. No strings attached, I'll understand if you decide to cut off our friendship because of this. After all, it's your life at stake here." Harry finished with a sniff, and Remus immediately circled his arms around the other to comfort him.

"Don't say things like that, Harry. I'm your friend and I intend it to stay that way, no matter the cost." He murmured as he felt the boy's shoulders shaking, silent sobs being released, and he felt his shirt grow wet.

"I just don't want anyone else taken from me; I've lost enough people in my life." Harry said, his voice hitching as more tears were released. He buried his head into the crook of Remus' neck and shoulder, feeling strangely comforted by the woodsy scent of his friend.

"I can't promise that no one else will leave you, but I will swear that I won't." Remus found himself saying, stopping before he said anything else. He marveled over that promise, wondering where it had come from, and if he could actually keep it. Harry sobbed audibly at his words, and the teen hugged him tighter, whispering soothing words to calm him as he ran his fingers gently through the raven hair. He realized now why Hermione had looked at him in the way she had; Harry had informed them that he was going to tell the werewolf of his secrets, and Hermione hadn't liked it. He found himself smiling gently at the boy in his arms, the feeling of belonging worming its way into his chest once again.

* * *

After that event, a week ago, Harry and Remus had been inseparable. Harry seemed to draw strength off of his wolfish friend, while the other felt like he was no longer so alone. Hermione, though she still didn't trust Remus, felt happy with this situation. Her friend seemed to smile more since that night, and she knew that the other boy was the cause of this. It was as if he'd let part of the weight slip off his shoulders and Remus held it for him. The blonde was good for Harry, and the girl seriously hoped that he didn't have a dark secret that would end up hurting the raven teen after viewing how strong their friendship was. She didn't want to be the one to have to pick up the pieces after the mess _that_ would make.

During the course of the week, Harry had told Remus everything that had happened with Voldemort through his years in school, including the nearly heart-wrenching moment that his godfather had almost died at the ministry. Thank Merlin Moody had been nearby and managed to pull him away from the cursed drapery. The four were chatting easily as they marched toward the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. As it was a Friday, Harry had intended to take his team out for training in the Quidditch pitch that day, Remus joining so he could get acquainted with the other members though he refused to fly with them until he was officially part of the team. Ron immediately started to shove all sorts of food into his mouth, regardless of what it was, while Hermione looked on in disgust and Harry and Remus in interest.

"Twenty galleons says he'll eat that entire plate of waffles on his own in two minutes." Harry offered and Remus eyed the platter that was stacked with about thirty of the food items. Raising an eyebrow, the wolf shook his head with a grin.

"I'm not that stupid, I've been able to see how he eats for a week and a half." He told the boy beside him, who smiled sheepishly. "Nice try, though."

"It could've worked." Harry mumbled.

"Harry! You're not going to believe this!" A voice shouted from a ways down the table, and the quartet turned to see that it was Seamus. "Malfoy's booked the pitch for the next week!"

"What? He can't do that!" Ron cried around his load of food, spewing out a few chunks which Hermione turned her nose at. Harry stiffened, suddenly looking very much like the powerful and dangerous wizard that he was.

"What did you just say?" He asked murderously, glaring at nothing in particular. Seamus repeated his discovery, and Harry shot out of his seat in a full-blown rage.

"MALFOY!" He shouted across the room, pinning the blonde with a venomous stare as his rival had the gall to look smug.

"Calm down, Harry! No good will come from you exploding, it'll only give him more satisfaction." Remus said in a soothing voice, standing to gently restrain his friend. Harry growled, spat an expletive, and then turned to the red-head.

"What the hell do we do now? We've only got two weeks left until the game with Ravenclaw, and frankly we're doomed if we don't get Timothy's ass into gear." The disgruntled teen groaned, reaching up to grab a handful of his hair in dismay. As Remus guided him back into his seat at the table, a thought struck the wolf and he grinned deviously.

"That looks helpful." Ron said hopefully, having caught sight of the expression. Thoughts of payback and pranking were running through the boy's head, but Remus had another thing in mind.

"I know where we can practice, uninterrupted for the rest of the year." He said triumphantly and Harry looked at him with hope shinning in his eyes. "The Room of Requirement."

"That's… actually a really good idea." Hermione said in a hushed tone, so as not to be overheard by the many students surrounding the group. Remus seemed to perk up at her hidden compliment and Harry grinned.

"Let's go check it out after lessons."

* * *

Hermione had been up late the previous night, going over in her head the plan she had concocted to get Remus alone, where he couldn't run off or be saved by someone else, in order to question him. She frowned when she reviewed all of the things that she needed to ask him, and then brightened as she remembered that no matter what, he was _going_ to answer. Her eyes snapped to the small vial that she was rolling around her palm, staring at the silvery substance in pride. She'd have another thing to add to her list of brilliant plans if this turned out well. Stuffing the glass tube back inside her robes pocket, she focused on the class around her, looking at her target through her peripheral vision.

Remus was chatting animatedly with Ron and Harry about the Room of Requirement, the place they were planning to check out after the classes ended today, completely unsuspecting of any devious plots. _Aside from his own,_ She amended to herself, gaze turning sharp with suspicion. She was going to figure this out, no matter what it took.

"Shut up!" Snape roared as he stalked into the classroom from his office, glaring at everyone as they snapped their mouths shut instantly. He snarled, "The directions are on the board, you will be working _silently_ on your own. This potion is a very fragile mixture, so don't brew like you idiots usually do. It _will_ explode in your faces."

At those words the majority of the student populace in the room felt like they had just been sentenced to death. Harry and Ron were two of them, as they were completely terrible at potions. Remus was smirking at something only he knew, and Hermione was diligently beginning her potion, measuring, adding and stirring it with precision. It was toward the end of the class period when it happened; her window of opportunity opened.

"Remus! My potion doesn't look right, what do I do?" Ron asked frantically, trying to keep his voice leveled to a whisper as to not catch the attention of the Professor.

"Hm? Oh, you need to counteract what you just did." He explained slowly, knowing the ins and outs of this particular potion since he'd already made it in his time, and began showing the red-head how exactly to do this, talking in a low murmur. Snape gazed around the room to make sure no one was about to be exploded, when he came across something that made his day.

" _Holmes_!" He thundered and Remus snapped his head up to look at the snide Professor. "Did I not inform you to work _silently_ , which means no discussion, and _alone_?"

"Yes, sir, but Ron just needed a bit of-" The werewolf tried to explain, only to be cut off sharply.

"I don't care if he needs a new brain, Mr. Holmes, in my class you are to do as instructed and _only_ what is instructed." Snape seemed to be getting positively snarky with his next words, "Detention tomorrow night, eight o'clock, and thirty points from Gryffindor."

Remus opened his mouth as if to say something, and then closed it promptly a minute later. It wouldn't do to get on the bad side of the worst teacher in this time, so he kept his objections to himself. Hermione bit her lip, feeling physical pain at what she was about to do purposefully. Closing her eyes briefly to steady herself, she took a deep breath.

"Sir, you're much more sadistic today than usual, has another bug crawled up your bum to join with the one already lodged permenantly?" She heard herself utter, and then the silence after Remus' punishing broke with a collective gasp from the students. It wasn't like her to talk to a teacher that way; they were shocked. So was Snape, though he hid it behind a sneer.

"Ms. Granger, I see you're going to be joining us tomorrow night. And sixty points from Gryffindor for your deliberate display of disrespect."

She had to do it; though it killed her to tarnish her permanent record, she needed to get Remus away from Harry and Ron in order to question him. Near tears, the girl nodded as the teacher walked away and went about finishing her assignment, mentally berating herself for not finding another way to corner the male teen.

* * *

The three boys were making their way, sans Hermione, to the Room of Requirement. Ron was praising the girl for having the gall to talk to Snape like that, face beaming pride as he spoke of her. Harry rolled his eyes, but was grinning anyway at the idea of Hermione having gotten detention. It was so absurd that it was laughable, and yet it had actually occurred. Remus said nothing as they walked up the stair case, mulling over the predicament he now found himself within. Obviously Hermione had a reason to get herself in trouble today and the werewolf knew what it was without having to second-guess. She was going to try to badger the truth out of him once the others would not be around. Remus was a bit worried at the idea, since he knew by now that Hermione was very intellectual and probably had figured out some way to make him answer her questions.

"Hey, I just had a thought!" Ron exclaimed, stopping short and staring at his friends with a broad smile. _Dear God, it thinks._ Harry stared at his red-headed friend in shock, rooted to the stone floor. It wasn't that he didn't think Ron capable of _any_ thinking, but that the red-head hardly _ever_ used his brain. And that he was doing so now was a bit frightening for the raven-haired boy, who shifted to hide a bit behind Remus. Ron caught the movement and scowled. "I'm allowed to have an idea too, you know! Don't have to treat me like my head will explode for it."

Harry didn't _want_ Ron goo on him!

"Sorry mate, force of habit." He said instead, smiling a bit desperately as he tried to think of an escape route. Perhaps that room with Fluffy…? No, no, this was a dire situation but it didn't warrant killing himself by way of three-headed-dog. He grimaced, hating that he was going to but asked anyway, "What did you… err… think…?"

"Well… Remus and Hermione have been practicing really hard in order to beat each other, the reason that the competition was held off was because of booking issues with the pitch, and if this works we'll have a pitch of our own… why not just pit them against the other today?" Harry blinked; once, twice, three times. Still he was shocked- Ron had actually thought of a good idea.

"The world's ending… I know it… any minute now Voldemort will come waltzing by with Dumbledore wearing a pink frilly dress and singing 'I've got sunshine'." Harry mumbled to himself half-eccentrically.

"What?" Ron asked in confusion, not understanding the sentence that his friend had mumbled. Remus raised an eyebrow at the raven-haired boy in amusement, tilting his head as he regarded his friends. _They're reminding me of James and Sirius_ … He squashed the thought, not in the mood to let his situation drag his mood down. Harry seemed to shake himself of his daze and smiled brightly.

"That's a great idea! Let's go see if this'll work, then fetch Hermione." He said chirpily, turning around to continue his trek. His friends followed behind him, Ron glowing with satisfaction, Remus returning to his thoughts.

It only took a few minutes to arrive at the blank wall that hid the magical room. Remus was the one to walk past it three times, thinking clearly of exactly what was needed. A door soon appeared and he grasped the door knob, twisting slowly and pulling it open. As it swung out, he peered inside and discovered that it'd worked exactly as they'd needed it to. The Room of Requirement had transformed into a large, grassy field with six tall rings on either side, a set of bleachers off to the right for spectators. Looking to the left, the blonde found a small structure that he assumed was to be used for showering and changing. He smiled and swung the door open all the way, letting his companions see its contents. Harry and Ron were gaping, jaw dropped at what greeted them. They hadn't known that the Room of Requirement could change its size, and this was purely massive.

"That's bloody brilliant." Ron stuttered, staring in awe as the three made their way onto the grassy ground and closed the door behind them. Harry nodded in agreement, stunned speechless. After a half hour of investigating the quidditch pitch, they left and went to retrieve Hermione for her and Remus' competition. She seemed reluctant to be dragged away from her book, but followed them nonetheless back to the seventh floor corridor. Unlike the three boys, when the door was open and revealed the marvelous scene, she didn't seem as shocked.

"There are brooms in the lockers inside the changing room, Hermione. Remus already got one for himself before we left, so you can go ahead and use it to change or whatever." Harry told her and she promptly spun around and headed in the direction indicated. Remus furrowed his brow as he watched her, wondering if she were like this when he wasn't around or if it was just him in particular that she disliked. _Bloody stupid question, that one is, of course she only acts like that when I'm present- she hates me, after all._

Ten minutes later the girl returned to the three boys, dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a light t-shirt. In her hand was a Firebolt. The quartet moved to the pitch, Hermione and Remus going to the middle with Harry and Ron.

"You've got to get ten goals past me and Ron in order to win this. Ron will represent Hermione and I'll be Remus' goalie. Hermione, that means you have to get the quaffle past me. Everyone understand?" Harry asked, and at their nods he continued. "Remember; ten goals. Get ready, then."

Harry and Ron got onto their brooms, moving to their proper positions. After getting situated, the raven-haired teen pulled out a whistle. Hermione and Remus were already prepared to fly into the air, mounted with precision on their own flying devices, eyes locked in a fierce gaze that was both challenging and amused. When Harry blew the whistle, two things happened at the same time; Hermione and Remus shot into the air, and a quaffle dropped from the sky. The two rivals dove for the brown ball, neck and neck as they reached it, Remus grabbing hold of it first.

He shot away from his competitor, moving towards the red-head at the end of the field, face set in determination. Hermione growled in frustration and willed her broom to go faster as she tried to catch up with the boy. When she was upon him, however, she discovered that the quaffle was no longer in his possession. Turning her gaze to Ron, she found the boy holding it and looking apologetic.

"Remus one, Hermione zilch." Harry called from down the pitch. Gritting her teeth together, Hermione glared in his direction before catching the ball as it was passed to her by Ron. She didn't waste any time in getting to Harry, and nearly shouted an expletive when she was suddenly deprived of the quaffle. Her eyes narrowed; Remus wanted to play dirty, did he? Well she was about to show the three boys _exactly_ what she'd learned during the past week and a half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Hermione. I'm quite a bit like her, and just wanted everyone aware that I'm only being mean to her temporarily. It's a necessary evil and will not last much longer.


	6. Snide and Helpful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have up to chapter twenty-four written, though I do need to go through and clean everything up a bit, I'm going to just bite the bullet and go ahead and post everything here. I'm procrastinating far too much on cleaning it all up and I'd rather just have it posted.

Previously;

"Remus one, Hermione zilch." Harry called from down the pitch. Gritting her teeth together, Hermione glared in his direction before catching the ball as it was passed to her by Ron. She didn't waste any time in getting to Harry, and nearly shouted an expletive when she was suddenly deprived of the quaffle. Her eyes narrowed; Remus wanted to play dirty, did he? Well she was about to show the three boys exactly what she'd learned during the past week and a half.

* * *

Remus was focusing on the fast-approaching goals in front of him, not bothering to look back and see where Hermione was. He didn't think, after hearing from Ron and Harry about how horrible she was at flying, that she'd be much of a problem if any. He'd stretched his arm out to toss the quaffle into the goal past Ron before he realized he was no longer in possession of it. Shocked, he whipped his head around and caught sight of a smirking teenage girl flying in the opposite direction, ball in hand. How had he not noticed that she'd stolen it from him?

At Harry's shout he snapped out of his musings and shot off, turning sharply to follow the girl. She was at the goal before he could catch up, and had actually managed to get the quaffle past Harry, who had as much skill in being goalie as he did in Potions. By some form of Divine intervention, Hermione had gotten semi-good at quidditch. Harry stared, stunned at his best friend's new ability, before snapping out of it and retrieving the ball. He threw it to Remus and they were off again. Hermione was right beside the wolf as they flew toward Ron's goal, attempting to get the ball out of his hands. When they'd arrived at the goal, Remus tossed the quaffle toward the top ring and then stared in bewilderment when Hermione managed to catch it before it went through. Maybe I underestimated her a bit. He conceded.

"Hermione, one and Remus, one." Ron said in a proud tone, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Better step it up, Holmes!"

The red-head tossed the ball to Hermione and the game commenced again. It went like this for almost an hour, Remus scoring six more times and Hermione seven. They were both exhausted, ready to finish the game and get off the now-uncomfortable wooden brooms they were seated on, but Harry and Ron were excited and full of energy, encouraging them both to play their hardest. Remus was focusing on catching up to Hermione at that time, nervous as she was one point ahead and had the quaffle. Two more points and she'd win the game. He cursed as she scored.

"Only one more to go, Hermione! You can do it!" Ron cried from the other side of the field, and Harry's gaze hardened competitively.

"Remus we can't let them win!" He exclaimed, "Ron, never mind Hermione, will never let us hear the end of it!" He exclaimed direly, and the blond shrugged his shoulders in a helpless manner. He still needed three to Hermione's one, and he was beginning to feel like there wasn't a chance in hell of his getting them. Hermione shot him a gloating grin as Harry tossed the ball. He made it to Ron easily, aimed and let the quaffle fly to the goal. It was good; Hermione 9, Remus 8. When Ron threw the ball to Hermione, Remus set upon her, trying his hardest to get the quaffle away from her hands. Just as she was about to throw the ball into Harry's goal, the wolf was able to snatch it away and flew back to Ron. Another point for Remus, 9 to 9 now. Hermione seemed to glower at the fact that they were tied, and everyone got completely serious as they realized that there was only one more goal to be made. Hermione was thrown the ball and she seemingly vanished, using her broom to its full potential in order to get to Harry in time to score a goal before Remus had the chance to stop it.

But the wolf wasn't worried because he was only a foot away from her, willing his broom to hit new speeds as he reached out to the side to try and snatch the quaffle. Hermione growled at him, veering to the left to avoid his grabbing hands. That was when Remus did something that made Ron see exactly what Harry was talking about. The teen turned sharply, shooting below Hermione as she veered off course, and then popped back up to her height. She barely stopped in time to prevent them both from crashing into each other, since Remus was now in front of her, face-to-face. He grinned cheekily and winked before snatching the ball. He was by Ron before the girl came to her senses from the shock of nearly crashing up in the air. She really hated heights. Remus scored.

"That was awesome!" Ron cried as the four lowered themselves to the ground. Harry was smiling like he'd just received a new Christmas present while Hermione was frowning. "You didn't tell me he was that good, Harry!"

"Honestly, it was just one move." Remus muttered, dismounting his broom and smiling sheepishly when Hermione glared at him. The girl jumped off her broom, took a moment to get her bearings now that she was once more on land, then marched over to the wolf and shoved a finger in his face.

"That was the stupidest thing I've seen anyone do in my entire life!" She exclaimed indignantly, "You could've killed us both had I not stopped in time! Were you eventhinking?!"

"Well it's pretty obvious he put at least some thought into the move; he did win, after all." Harry grumbled quietly, Hermione catching it and throwing him a look as well. Ron walked over and swung an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, Hermione, it was a good game and you looked like you were enjoying it up to that point. You've gotten pretty amazing at flying, in any case." He told her and looked at Harry for his agreement, which he gave with a nod. Hermione blushed, Remus looking like he was completely amused at the situation. Apparently my older self isn't the only one with the girl's infatuation. He mused.

"Yes, well." Hermione began, "Let's just get back to the common room, I have homework I have to do and I expect that you three do as well."

As the four were exiting the Room of Requirement they came face-to-face with someone they didn't expect; Albus Dumbledore. The older wizard stood before them, twinkling eyes shining brightly, a content smile settled upon his features. Hermione gulped, opened her mouth to begin profuse apologies concerning their whereabouts, when the headmaster held a hand up to stall her.

"Miss Granger, you and the boys are not in trouble this evening. I merely wondered if I might have a word with Mr. Holmes before you head to the common room." Professor Dumbledore asked. Remus looked a bit confused and slightly hopeful. The three others decided they'd meet him in the tower and headed off with polite good byes. The teen looked expectantly at his headmaster, hoping that what the older wizard needed to tell him was something along the lines of 'I've found a way to get you home.' And he felt guilty for being so gleeful at the thought- hadn't he assured Harry the other day that he wasn't going to up and leave like the rest of the people the boy became attached to? What kind of mess had he gotten himself into now, when the mere thought of going home, something that would make anyone else in his situation ecstatic, left him feeling like a prat? This didn't bode well.

"Follow me." Dumbledore said, turning away from the contemplative boy as he began walking down the hall. They were headed toward the older wizard's office, Remus realized absently. He was still upset that he'd managed to get so attached to someone in this time that he felt a certain amount of responsibility toward them. He didn't honestly know now, after everything he'd said to the younger teen and promised, what he was going to do when he did have the opportunity to leave. He felt disloyal, in a way, for being happy to leave behind his new friends, but also for contemplating the non-existent option of not going back to his best friends. He knew, no matter what happened here or how attached he got to anyone, he would go home. He had to.

The headmaster and the teen entered the formers office in a comfortable silence, the elder wizard motioning for the younger to sit as he busied himself with something on his desk for a moment. They didn't exchange any conversation for nearly fifteen minutes, and Remus was beginning to get fidgety. He didn't mind silence, he even preferred it at times, but when there were no books to bury himself in or homework to be done he found that he hated it. It made him nervous and self-conscious.

"Ah, I'm sorry Mr. Lupin; I had to get a few things straightened out. Tell me, how are you adjusting to being here?" Dumbledore asked finally, removing his gaze from the parchments strewn across his desk to meet eyes with Remus. It took the younger male a moment to realize he was being spoken to, a moment longer to drag himself from his daze, and then he realized that he'd heard his birth name for the first time in nearly three and a half weeks. It felt different after going by 'Holmes' for so long, but it was a welcome change as he'd found himself missing it.

"As fine as can be expected, Sir." He replied quietly to the professor's question, lowering his eyes to stare at a chipped off portion of the wooden surface before him. He didn't want Dumbledore to look into his eyes and know everything, as he was prone to do. Remus didn't want to bare his soul for someone else's scrutiny.

"I see. And your friendship with Mr. Potter seems to be going quite smoothly, wouldn't you say?" Dumbledore continued and the blonde's head snapped up in surprise. What was the white-haired wizard's reasoning for bringing Harry into this meeting? "I'm happy to see that you are not isolating yourself due to your circumstances, my dear boy."

Remus didn't reply as he stared suspiciously at his headmaster and the old man smiled brightly at him. He knew, deep down, that wasn't the only reason that the aged wizard had brought the raven-haired teen into this conversation but decided to leave it there. He didn't want to get into a discussion of his feelings for the youth; not when he knew that he'd end up leaving regardless of how close their friendship was. It was a sore spot and one that he refused to acknowledge. Dumbledore seemed to sense this and steered the conversation in another direction, much to Remus' appreciation.

"The reason I asked you here is to discuss a few problems we are facing." Remus looked confused, "The full moon is the night after next, correct?"

"Yes." The teen realized; he hadn't thought on it since he'd discovered the date, having been too busy spending time with his friends and keeping up his homework. How could he be so stupid?

"I'd like for you to use the Room of Requirement for that particular night. We should be able to get the exact accommodations needed for your transformation." Dumbledore informed him, and Remus nodded his agreement. It was the best option they had, as he was sure that his older self was still putting the Shrieking Shack to use. "Furthermore, I would like to discuss your options for the Easter holidays coming up."

Was it that close to the end of the year in this time? Remus hadn't even realized that it was April, having been much too busy to focus on the date. He stared back, dazed with this new information, as the headmaster continued.

"I believe it would be best if you accompany Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger to Grimauld for the break. I won't be here during the two week vacation and so I cannot assure your safety, especially, while I'm gone. Does this idea sound agreeable to you?"

Numbly, Remus nodded that he was alright with it. Inside his head, however, he was having a slight melt down. Grimauld was where Sirius grew up, from where the outcast Black had fled as soon as he had the opportunity. Why was he going, along with the others, to stay there for two weeks? More importantly, was Sirius there himself? His questions must have shown on his face, for Dumbledore answered.

"The location is now used as the Order of the Phoenix headquarters under Mr. Black's permission. He is currently housed there, and we escort the others to that location every break in order to best protect them from the evils of Voldemort."

"Is that all you needed to speak to me about, Sir?" Remus asked as he digested this new information. He didn't think he could take much more news as he was already feeling overloaded. To his dismay the headmaster shook his head.

"I also need to inform you that I will be letting Professor Snape in on who you are. He has invented a useful potion for those with lycanthropy and it is vital that you take it during your transformation."

"Well why does he have to know who I am in order to brew the potion for me?" Remus sounded like a whiny child and he knew it, but he did not like the idea of the snarky potions master knowing his identity. He could only imagine the maliciousness that he'd be shown from that getting out.

"Severus is distrusting, he will need assurance of your loyalties before he will brew for you. Even if I do not tell him myself, Mr. Lupin, he will find out eventually. He's a smart man and you, whether you realize it or not, leave clues everywhere. I'm surprised Miss Granger has not yet discovered the truth." Dumbledore said and Remus conceded.

"Well, fine. But what is this potion, exactly?"

"It is a powerful concoction that endeavors to let those suffering from lycanthropy keep their right state of mind during transformations. It completely takes the bite out of a dog, literally."

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

Sirius never wanted to see another book again in his life. The library was Moony's domain, not his. He grumbled nonsensical words of frustration as he turned a page in one of the dusty tomes with enough force to rip the edge. James sent him a glare over the top of his own volume, to which he responded with a specific finger. Prongs rolled his eyes and resumed his reading, deciding that Sirius' tantrum was not worth addressing. His canine friend had been grumpy as of late due to the excessive amounts of time they spent pouring over books. It seemed to James that his friend had lost his drive to help the missing Remus, since all he did was complain nowadays. Peter was being no help at all, which James didn't know how to take. On the one hand, the mousy boy had never taken a great liking to anything in the academic field, but had any of them honestly? Other than Moony, of course. Then again, the teen felt that it was Peter's duty to help them search for a way to save their fourth member. Hadn't they been friends for nearly five years? That had to mean something to the meek boy, right?

"James!" Sirius exclaimed suddenly, breaking the other out of his thoughts. James glanced at his friend to find an expression of absolute excitement settled over his features and immediately felt his own heart begin to race. This was it, they'd found it! "Here it is!"

"Well, look what we have here. Two of the school's most notorious troublemakers spending a Saturday in the library of all places? What evil are you two brewing?" The sharp voice cut James off just as he'd opened his mouth to ask his friend to elaborate on what he'd found. The two raven-haired teens rolled their eyes in annoyance.

"What the hell do you want, Malfoy?" Sirius sneered at the blond Slytherin, having no patience for his idiocy now that he might've found the answer to their problems. Said Slytherin cocked an eyebrow at his tone.

"I merely wish to reinstate my offer. You would do well to take it, Black. Think about it; you could be one of the most powerful wizards to grace the world if only you'd give yourself to the dark arts."

"I've told you already, you can take your Dark Lord and shove him up your ass!" Sirius thundered, standing from his seat so suddenly that it flew back and hit the book shelf behind him. He clenched his fists and stared Malfoy down, who was looking completely murderous at his insult.

"You need to learn to hold your tongue, Black. One of these days you're going to insult the wrong person and find it carved out." Malfoy said smoothly, his tone calm with an underlying threat. James stood and walked over beside his best friend, crossing his arms over his chest in a challenging manner.

"And you should know by now not to threaten my friends, unless you yourself want to get bit back." James growled, glaring at the blond who gave him a disgusted look, threw another glance at Sirius, and departed quickly from their presence.

"Prat." Sirius grumbled at the air in front of him that used to be occupied by his adversary. James gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Well, now that Sunshine's gone, are you going to tell me what it was you found?" He asked curiously. Sirius suddenly grinned, whipped around and thrust his finger at the open book on the table they'd been sitting at. His finger hovered over a single paragraph at the bottom of the page, and James felt himself grin.

"You did it."

* * *

Present-Time

* * *

Professor Remus Lupin had a headache. He'd been having them a lot lately and he wasn't sure why. He chalked it up to stress and let it be, but it didn't make the aching, throbbing pain in his skull diminish a bit. It was odd that as soon as he'd met the transfer student the headaches had begun, but he could tell just by looking at the boy that he was the good sort, so he didn't believe that he'd do something to him. The wizard stood in his staff quarters staring out the window, glaring up at the moon that was nearly full, as he pondered the state of his health. Another thing that made the situation even more peculiar was that his aches didn't start until after his classes with Harry's group. It kind of felt like… there was something just sitting on the tip of his tongue, like forgetting who sung a song and knowing that you know who it is but just can't quite grasp the name… it was like he had something to remember but couldn't hold onto the thought long enough to draw it out. That's usually how he felt when his headaches started, every day.

He leaned forward and let his forehead rest on the cool glass of the window, hoping that the chilly surface would give him some sort of relief from his pain. His mind drifted to his best friend, the only one he had left, as he closed his eyes. Sirius was getting impatient. He didn't like being cooped up at Grimauld, a place that held nothing but horrible memories for the man. His canine traits also made it hard on him to stay indoors at all times, as dogs do not like being cooped up and soon become restless if they are. He felt sorry for his best mate, who'd done nothing but love his friends and try to protect them, only to have it all shoved in his face as he was sent to Azkaban for murdering two of the people he wouldn't have harmed even to save his own life. Sirius' fate seemed so unfair to Remus; condemned for a murder he didn't commit, and then condemned once more to live out his days indoors hiding from the people looking to prosecute him for the crime that never took place. Not by his hands, at least.

Peter. That sniveling, sneaky bastard that destroyed everyone who he held dear. The werewolf wondered, not for the first time, what any of them had done to deserve the fate that Peter dealt them. But then, there wasn't really any answer to that question and Remus knew it. There was nothing, nothing that they did to earn those horrific fates. Nothing they could have done to Peter that was as bad as what he'd ultimately done to them. And if, when, Remus got his hands on his old friend again… Merlin save the mouse, because the wolf was going to rip him to shreds and not shed a tear for doing it.

The wolf inside of him agreed whole-heartedly.

* * *

"I don't want to see a single molecule of dirt once you have finished. The cauldrons, walls, ceiling, floor, benches, chairs, etcetera shall be cleaned until they shine. Do you understand?" Snape asked in his usual I'm-not-asked-I'm-demanding-so-do-it tone of voice. Hermione and Remus nodded mutely and the Professor turned, stalking out of the Potions classroom and into the door on the side which, one would guess, led to his private chambers.

The two immediately got to work, not speaking to each other as they set about doing separate things. Remus kept an eye out for anything suspicious that the girl might be doing, keeping in mind that she had deliberately placed herself in detention tonight, while Hermione bit her cheek to keep the excited smile off her face. An hour into their cleaning was when it happened; Remus was bent over the biggest cauldron in the room, one that came up to his waist and was wider than Hagrid's head. Hermione saw her opportunity and grabbed it, muttering a quick and silent spell under her breath. Remus suddenly felt extremely dizzy and as he tried to straighten himself up and get his bearings the he fell over, having lost his footing. As he lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling that was swirling madly, he felt something cold pushed against his lips that tasted like water. He drank it.

Two seconds later, the dizzy spell disappeared and he found himself looking at a falsely-concerned Hermione. He could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she'd had something to do with this; he was part of a notorious band of pranksters, you think he wouldn't notice when someone pulled something on him? The girl grabbed his hands and helped him to sit up, then shoved her hands on her hips and dropped all pretences.

"Who are you really?" And that was when Remus realized that he must have drank the truth serum, for the words flowed up his throat and out of his mouth before he could even register that they were there.

"Remus John Lupin." Her gasp couldn't have been louder in the silent room. Hermione's hands flew to her mouth and she stared at the boy in puzzled interest.

"As in Professor Remus John Lupin?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes." He snapped. He may not have much control over what comes out of his mouth, but he could damn sure control the tone of voice it's used in.

"What… I mean, how did you end up here?"

"Sirius' damn potion exploded and threw me forward in time." He bit out, glaring ruefully at the girl in front of him as she digested this information. Remus was growing to hate Veritaserum; it always seemed to come at the worst times and bite him in the arse.

"What is going on here?" An older male voice demanded, and both teens whipped around to see Snape standing over them with his characteristic sneer firmly in place. Remus smirked; he didn't need the truth serum to force him to answer that question.

"She gave me Veritaserum and is asking me questions, Sir."

Hermione threw him a glare that could have melted the polar ice caps all on its own, but he just grinned back cheekily as Snape growled and proceeded to give her a telling off. In the end, Remus was released from detention due to his having ingested the serum and Hermione was forced to stay and clean the rest of the room on her own. She didn't get back that night until well after one in the morning. She'd also been given two week's worth of detentions to serve once holidays were over.

Harry and Ron didn't find out about her punishment until the next day at breakfast. Remus was too tired to contribute to the conversation; instead he sat at the table with his head resting against his arms. The full moon was that night and he always felt like he hadn't slept in a week when it came around. Harry was shooting Remus concerned looks, which he ignored because he didn't feel like engaging in a pity-party this early on the morning of a full moon. So he had lycanthropy and it was a bitch; he'd lived with it for years and years before this, he'd live with it for years and years after. He didn't allow himself to become upset over his condition anymore, because it wouldn't change anything and did no one any good.

"Wait, you have to serve two more weeks of detention?" Ron asked in surprise, struggling to swallow a mouthful of pumpkin juice to wash down the food he'd just eaten. Hermione glared at her bacon and angrily stabbed it, while Remus just watched in slight amusement. "What the hell did you do to piss Snape off?"

"Honestly, who does anything to piss that man off? He's got it taken care of on his own accord!" She shot back with spite, taking the butter knife set beside her plate and proceeding to tear her eggs to shreds. Harry raised an eyebrow at her attitude, not thinking too much on it as anyone who knew Hermione would know that even a day of detention would make her upset. He still wanted to know, though, why she'd gotten herself in with Snape in the first place. It had been a very un-Hermione-like thing to do.

"If you're that upset about having two weeks of detention with him, why'd you throw yourself in there to start with?" Harry asked the girl not unkindly, honestly curious of the answer. Her only response was a fierce glare that made the boy fidget a bit. Snape chose this moment to damn her to hell.

"Mr. Potter." He sneered, "You would do well to keep your little fan club in line. As amusing as it was to watch Miss Granger's use of the Veritaserum on Mr. Holmes, I do not appreciate my stores being ransacked for a student's whim."

After Harry got over the shock, he turned a murderous gaze on his best female friend.

 

 


	7. Breaking the Ice and a Punch of Forgiveness

After delivering the information that was sure to send Harry into a rage, Snape walked away from the quartet with a smug grin on his features. Ron was gaping like a fish, staring at his female friend in something akin to shock, while Harry had a tight-lipped expression of fury on his features. Remus lifted his head from his arms to gauge Hermione's reaction, which was nervous and pleading. He felt anxious along with the girl; wondering whether or not she was going to divulge his secret to the other two teens. She opened her mouth to speak, Remus' shoulders tensing in apprehension. Harry refused to let this play out in such a public area, however, and stopped her abruptly with a firm grip on her arm. He stood from his seat at the table, dragging Hermione up with a sharp jerk.

"We are going to go discuss this else where." He muttered dangerously, giving the girl a look that simply dared her to object. She chose, wisely, to stay silent and didn't even protest when Harry began to roughly pull her from the Great Hall. A glance over his shoulder was all the other two needed to know that they were to follow him. None of the other students seemed to notice their hasty departure, for which Remus was glad. He didn't need anyone questioning the scene playing out before them, as it would only draw more suspicion to himself. The four teenagers stalked down the corridors of Hogwarts, Harry leading the group while Hermione was virtually dragging behind him. He didn't release his grip on her until they'd found an empty class room far enough away from prying ears. They entered the abandoned room; Harry dropped his hand and stomped a few feet away from the girl.

Remus took in the room; it was the typical classroom setting, a large desk at the head of the room with many smaller desks clustered in front of it. Dust was piled liberally over every surface; a large unused chalk board was situated in the left corner of the room. Ron nervously glanced at Harry before sweeping the dust off of one desk top and seating himself upon it tensely. Remus leaned his hip against the desk beside him, not wanting to sit due to the magnitude of filth that occupied the room, but needing to support himself in some way all the same. He really hated the full moon; it always caused him to become extremely weak and unsteady. Hermione bit her lip and crossed her arms defensively as Harry glowered at her from his position at the instructor's desk.

"What the fuck did you do, Hermione?" He finally demanded after several minutes of tense silence. The girl started from his sudden question, having been used to the tense silence.

"I had to know, Harry. I was trying to protect you!" She defended herself hastily.

"Defend me from what? Remus? He hasn't done anything to me and never had the intention of harming me either!" Harry shot at Hermione, his hands balled into fists as he tried to control his anger.

"I know that now, but Harry you have to admit that he was very suspicious! I care about you; I just wanted to make sure he wasn't some madman in disguise out to get close to you so he could kill you."

"Why wasn't my word good enough to assure you that he wasn't?" Harry asked, his tone dropping a few degrees as it came out icily. "You know I don't trust easily. It should have told you that Remus was good when I started befriending him."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Hermione said pleadingly. "But there is something I found out that I think we need to discuss, your anger at me for the way I went about it aside."

Remus smacked one of his hands across his face. He should've known that the girl would reveal his secret first chance she had- hadn't she been nothing but a nuisance to him so far? Ron stayed quiet during the exchange, suddenly speaking up at Hermione's words.

"No." He said thickly, looking as if he wanted to be doing anything other than what he was doing right now. Hermione's pleading brown eyes turned to gaze at him and he gulped. "I, for one, don't want to know anything about what you forced out of Remus. His secrets are his business, and I trust that Harry has enough sense to correctly judge someone. If he says that Remus is good, then I believe him and that's that."

"But you two don't understand, he's-" Hermione started desperately, throwing her hands up in frustration. She needed to tell them this, it was important for them to know. Harry cut her off sharply.

"Shut up, Hermione. Just shut up." He growled, then walked over to his silent friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "Remus, let's go."

"Harry, wait!" Hermione cried as the two made their way to the door. Ron hung back, looking between his three friends sadly. The golden trio was breaking up.

"No. I don't want to have anything to do with you until you grow up, Hermione." Harry bit at her nastily, then departed with a soft click of the door.

Hermione stared at the wooden surface in despair, barely registering when an arm was wrapped around her shoulders. Grow up? She thought mistily, I never thought someone would say those words to me…

"That was a bloody stupid thing to do, you know." Ron admonished her gently, squeezing her shoulder as he spoke. "You need to figure out a way to get Harry to forgive you. What are you going to do?"

"Aren't you mad at me as well, Ron?" Hermione questioned him in confusion. The red-head chuckled before answering her.

"Yes, absolutely furious. But you're my friend, and even though you rarely do, everyone makes mistakes eventually. All you can do is try to fix them, yeah? Your intentions were genuinely good for what you did, but the way you went about it was really dumb." He told her and she frowned.

"How do I fix something like this?" She whispered brokenly. "I don't think he'll forgive me."

"Of course he'll forgive you, Hermione; you're his best friend. Harry will forgive anything you do, but I think you need to show him that you're genuinely sorry. The road to Harry's forgiveness, I believe, starts with Remus."

"When did you get so smart, Ron?" Hermione asked with a caring smile as she looked at her friend.

"Well hell, something was bound to rub off on me after seven years of berating, eh?" He responded with a laugh.

* * *

"Harry, slow down." Remus demanded after they'd been walking for a good twenty minutes in silence. The other teen seemed determined to run like a madman, and Remus couldn't keep up with him in the condition he was currently in. Harry slowed with a heavy sigh, glancing at the other teen.

"Why didn't you tell me she did that to you?" He asked. It was Remus' turn to sigh as he stopped walking altogether, moving to lean against the wall behind him as Harry waited for an answer.

"Honestly? I couldn't fault her for what she did. Sure, it was amazingly invasive and under handed, but she was only trying to make sure I was trustworthy." Remus told him seriously, looking for any trace the boy might have of regretting his earlier telling-off of the girl.

"Yeah, but damnit! She should have just trusted that I knew what I was doing." Harry grunted, placing a hand over his eyes in irritation. "This is so messed up."

"Will you forgive her for what she did?" Remus wanted to know. Sure, he was extremely pissed at Hermione but he could understand where she was coming from, at least. The way Harry had acted earlier… it was like he no longer regarded her as a friend. And that worried Remus a lot. "I don't want to be the cause of you and her ending the friendship that seems so strong."

"Yes, I will eventually forgive her, but it's completely dependant upon Hermione as to when." Harry responded after a moment of thought. His hand dropped from his face and he looked at Remus closely. "You're not doing so well today."

"No, I'm afraid not." The other teen admitted softly, "But don't worry about me, Harry, this happens every time the full moon comes around. I'll be fine again by tomorrow evening."

"You're my friend, Remus; it's my job to worry." Harry told him with a chuckle, "Where will you go tonight?"

"Dumbledore is going to set up the Room of Requirement for my use." Remus told him, pushing himself off the wall. "I'll have to depart by six. You won't see me again until midday tomorrow. I always need half a day's worth of sleep before I gather my energy back."

"If there's anything I can do for you, let me know." The other teen said as they started walking again. Remus grinned, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I could always use those chocolates, dear." He teased and was rewarded with a laugh.

* * *

"That bloody prat! I swear if I get my hands on him again I'll turn him inside out." Ron growled as he stalked beside Harry the next day. Hermione had been avoiding the raven-haired boy since the argument, but Ron seemed to be hanging out equally between them. Harry wasn't mad at the boy for this, since he knew that the red-head cared a great deal about the girl. He'd never make his friend chose between them.

"That sounds messy." Harry responded with an amused smile while Ron huffed. "Come on, what did he do to piss you off this time?"

The 'he' aforementioned was Malfoy, who'd apparently irked Ron somehow earlier that day. Harry had yet to get a reason as to why the red-head was so mad, and he'd been ranting and raving about the blond for over an hour now. Ron grumbled something before he sneered at the floor.

"The ferret said something really stupid about you." Harry raised an eyebrow at that- the 'ferret' was always saying stupid things about him, what was different this time? Ron refused to elaborate and Harry let it go. The two were making their way to the Great Hall for lunch. Harry was wondering when Remus would pop in, while Ron believed that the absent boy had been in a meeting with Dumbledore for the better part of the day. Harry smiled affectionately when he thought of his friend's denseness.

"Harry Potter!" Someone cried from behind them just as they were about to enter the hall. Both boys whipped around to see who had spoken, and Harry began to laugh when he caught sight of who it was. Remus was walking toward them with a huge grin on his face and he seemed to have gotten back to normal. His skin was no longer pale; his body no longer dragging with fatigue, and his eyes were no longer weary. He stopped in front of Harry and shoved a box underneath the other teen's nose, who looked on knowingly.

"Yes, Remus dear?" Harry asked in an innocent tone. Ron stood off to the side, looking confused at the current happenings.

"It is not our anniversary yet." Remus quipped playfully, twisting the hand that was holding the box to reveal the logo on the surface. 'Honeyduke's Finest Milk Chocolates' was proclaimed proudly in golden lettering.

"No," Harry agreed with a smug smirk taking over his face, "But every now and then a girl needs to be doted upon, I believe."

"Oh, you just wait, Potter. I'm going to punish you for that remark." Remus said in fake-indignation.

"Promises, promises." Harry said in amusement before the two could no longer hold their composure and started laughing. Once they were finally able to catch their breath, Harry looked over at Ron who seemed to have gone pale and was spluttering nonsense.

"Ron?" Remus asked in concern, "You alright, there?"

"You've gone white like you've seen a ghost, mate." Harry added as they looked at their friend worriedly.

"It's true, then, isn't it?!" Ron cried, pointing at the two in horror. Harry and Remus shared a confused look.

"What's true, Ron?" Remus asked, startled at his friend's behavior. Ron was backing away from them now.

"What Malfoy said! You two are gay lovers!"

If the situation hadn't been so serious, due to Ron's expression and tone, the two accused of being 'lovers' would have broken down in hysterics at the ridiculousness of the accusation. Be that as it may, it was a very serious situation seeing as Ron looked utterly mortified and on the verge of running from them.

"Ron, what the hell are you babbling about?" Harry wondered, stalking toward his friend. "Remus and I aren't lovers!"

"But you don't deny that you're gay! Get away from me!" Ron cried before turning and running away from his friends. He stumbled as he climbed the stairs, and then was gone around the corner.

Harry stood with his mouth agape, staring at where his friend had been two minutes before. Remus looked alternately between the corner Ron had disappeared behind and Harry, confusion and worry warring for dominance over his features.

"Uh… What the hell?" Harry muttered finally. Remus could only shrug, about as lost as Harry was.

Two hours later found the two boys packing their things in the dormitories. They had run into Ron once since the incident and he'd immediately run off, sputtering. Harry felt torn between amusement at Ron's assumption and worry that he was losing his second best friend due to a partially inaccurate accusation. Remus had been silent since Ron had accused them of being homosexual with each other, barely saying a word to Harry. This also worried the boy, he wondered if Remus believed that Harry was gay and was trying to distance himself from him because of it. Harry was going through hell, to put it simply.

Remus, on the other hand, wasn't thinking anything of the sort. His problems lay in the fact that Ron's reaction had been a wake-up call. The wolf had already known that he was getting too close for comfort to Harry, whom he would ultimately have to leave when he returned home, but this had just made him realize that he needed to start holding the boy a length away from him in order to not hurt either of them when he left. He watched Harry silently as the boy went about packing his belongings for the holiday that started tomorrow. He seemed so frantic, it tore at Remus. The blond felt like it was his fault entirely that Harry's two friends had abandoned him and it was a crushing notion. He didn't want to be the cause of any sadness for the other teen.

"I'm going to take a walk." Remus informed his friend, who absently nodded that he'd heard him. With a heavy sigh he left the tower to do some deep thinking.

He was nervous about going to Grimauld and meeting the older version of his best friend. He wondered if Sirius would recognize him, then dismissed the thought. If his own older self hadn't known who he was, how would his friend? Still, if there was a chance that Sirius knew who he was, what would he say? Would he try to help him get back to his own time? And, since he had left from his time line, what was it like there? Maybe he could get Sirius to tell him what happened when he left, if the man remembered. If he recognized him, anyway. His thoughts went to Hermione, who had done something incredibly stupid but endearing if you thought about it. She was so devoted and loyal to Harry that she'd risked his very friendship just to make sure he was actually safe. If you thought about it in that way then she didn't deserve the cold shoulder that Harry was giving her. Remus admired her for her loyalty. That being taken into account, the wolf decided that he needed to speak with the girl the next chance he got and straighten this whole thing out. Not only for Harry, but for himself as well. He was still nervous about what the girl would do with the information about who he was, and he needed to assure himself that she would keep quiet about it.

Ron was being a complete prat for no reason, and that was problematic as well. Harry was being tormented by the abrupt distance that the red-head was putting between them, and Remus was getting frustrated at the idiotic boy. So what if Harry was, in fact, gay? The two teenagers had been friends since they were eleven, for Merlin's sake! Who would throw a friendship like that away over something so small? Aside from Peter, Remus quietly thought to himself with a bitter pang in his chest. Maybe that was why he was taking Ron's reaction so hard. It made the situation with Peter even more present in his mind, and he didn't want Harry to go through something like that. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, to know that one of your best friends betrayed you. So, again, Remus was going to have to fix this issue as well as the one with Hermione. He wanted to see Harry happy again, and the only way to do that was to get his two friends to see the error of their ways.

As he was musing to himself, he barely noticed the dark figure stalking toward him. The two individuals were both lost in their own thoughts and therefore had no time to prevent the collision. Remus blinked from his place on the floor, staring up at the murderous eyes of Snape. They'd apparently run into each other.

"Watch where you're going, Marauder." Snape sneered at the teen, who looked back in shock. He'd forgotten that Dumbledore was going to inform Snape of his identity. When he felt the flash of anger well inside his chest at the cool greeting from the Professor, he beat it back. The man had helped him with that potion, which had truly been a godsend during his transformation, and he had no right to disrespect the man.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled as he pushed himself off the floor and dusted his robes. The teacher gave him a penetrating glare for a moment before stalking off without another word.

"Well, that was certainly rude." Another voice chimed in as the dark teacher rounded a corner and went out of sight. Remus turned and found himself looking at… himself. The older Lupin smiled at him. "Don't mind Severus, Mr. Holmes. That man is always in a mood, best to just stay out of his way from now on."

Remus was about to thank his older self when he suddenly realized something. The bastard of a professor had called him 'marauder' in the open! Did Professor Lupin hear that? How long had he been there during the exchange? Remus glanced nervously at the older blond, who looked at him with a twinkle in his eye that was akin to Dumbledore's. He knows. Remus thought, horrified.

"Mr. Holmes, will you please accompany me for some tea in my office? I'd like to speak with you about a pressing matter, if it's not too much trouble." The Professor inquired lightly, and Remus could do nothing but nod helplessly. What was he going to do? It seemed like everyone was figuring out who he was, and he had no control over it. An even more important thing to wonder; was it considered illegal to obliviate one's self? Remus shook his head to knock the thought, which had entered his head half-seriously and half-eccentrically, out in order to think of something that was more useful. Obliviating himself would only draw attention to himself.God this is confusing! Remus thought with a whine.

The two made their way to the older man's office in silence, Remus tense and ready to bolt while Professor Lupin mulled certain things over in his head and formulated his inquiries. The younger had sweaty, shaking hands by the time they were seated inside the elder's office. Professor Lupin went about ordering some tea from a house elf of the name 'Dobby' while Remus stared at him and wondered what, exactly, he wanted to discuss. Once everything arrived, the two males seated themselves at the small but comfortable tea table in Lupin's office.

"I'm sorry to be taking up your time on such a nice day," Lupin began as he stirred some sugar into his tea. "But I have been worried about Harry. I heard that there was some trouble between him and Ron and Hermione. I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about that."

Relief slammed into Remus so hard it nearly had him gasping audibly. This wasn't about his identity, then! So that meant that the Professor hadn't heard what Snape had said, right? The younger male took the time to take a refreshing sip of his tea before responding in a slightly shaky voice.

"Well… Ron has apparently deemed Harry as homosexual and is no longer speaking to him." He said, wondering if he could skip the subject of Hermione's incident entirely. He didn't feel up to explaining why those two were at odds, since it was so closely linked to himself. The older man looked at him in shock, setting his tea cup down before he dropped it from his state of stunned wonder.

"Harry's gay?" He wondered absently, "And Ron's virtually crucifying him for it?"

"Basically, though I'm not sure if Harry actually is gay." Remus responded with a nod, swirling the liquid in his cup with the spoon as he wondered on that himself. Was Harry gay? He hadn't denied it when Ron had accosted them, but that didn't mean anything. He could have just been so shocked that it didn't register in time for him to deny it before the red-head had run off. "Ron's acting like a prat, though, and I have no idea how to fix the situation."

"Well," Lupin said slowly as he pondered this. He looked at his companion for a few moments, "I think we first need to discern whether or not Harry is homosexual, and in doing so we can assure him that there's nothing wrong with being that way. I'm sure, if he is gay, he's feeling pretty shunned from Ron's reaction. After that, we need to speak with Ron and find the source of his problems."

"Yes, I'd already decided to speak with Ron myself to figure this mess out. But, how are we going to figure out if Harry's gay?" Remus wondered as he sat back in his chair, studying his older self as he thought. The older Lupin didn't look much different from the younger; a few more wrinkles, some specs of gray streaming through his blond hair. Taller, for sure, but other than those few things he looked exactly the same at nearly forty. The man took a deep breath; let it out slowly before responding.

"All that can be done is to ask him. I believe the two of you are close, correct?" He asked the teen, who nodded hesitantly. "Then perhaps you could get the information from him, and then assure him that it's perfectly natural if it's true? You do believe that it is, in fact, alright to be gay don't you?"

"I've never really thought about it in general." Remus admitted, pausing to think. "But I don't see anything wrong with it. I think persecuting someone for something beyond their control is horrendous."

"I knew you were a good boy." Lupin said with a smile. "You're a good friend for Harry to have."

"Thank you, Sir." Remus said with a sheepish smile.

"I have been told that you are staying with us at Grimauld for the break, how are you feeling about that?"

"A bit nervous, actually." Remus responded honestly without thinking, and then bit his tongue once he realized it. He needed to be particularly careful with this line of conversation; it wouldn't do to let something slip to his older self.

"That's to be expected, I believe. Don't worry; even though it's a bit dark and hectic there, things are usually quite pleasant. You'll also have your friends to keep you company; nothing to be worried about." Lupin assured him, placing a hand over his student's shoulder reassuringly.

Remus jumped at the electric shock that went through his system at the contact. Lupin's hand jerked back and he frowned deeply, staring at the appendage in confusion before turning his gaze to his student questioningly. This happening once was easily explained, but twice? Suddenly, Lupin's head felt as if it were being split in half by a wedge and a hammer. The younger male looked on in concern as he clutched his head in his hands, groaning at the pain.

"Are you alright, Professor?" Remus asked nervously. Did he have something to do with this? "Should I fetch Madam Pomfrey?"

"No." Lupin said in a gasping tone, blinking rapidly to try and make the headache go away. "No, thank you. I'll be fine, but could you excuse me? I'm sorry."

"That's fine, Professor. I'll let you know how things go with Harry and Ron." Remus responded, standing quickly and leaving after his Professor's nod of acknowledgement.

After the teenager left the office, Lupin's headache lessened considerably. Bewildered, the older man stared at the door that his student had exited with a pondering expression.

This has to have something to do with that boy… but what? He wondered with a frown.

* * *

As Remus made his way back up to the Gryffindor tower to finish his packing and get some sleep, he came across something that made his blood run cold and fury to ignite. Harry and Malfoy were standing opposite each other in the corridor, both had wands drawn and both were glaring heatedly at one another. Remus quickly went up to his friend to try and defuse the situation.

"Oh look what we have here, it's Potter's boyfriend." Malfoy sneered, a smug smirk on his face. Harry growled and spat a random curse at the other boy, who was missed by barely an inch. Remus grabbed Harry's right wrist to keep his wand immobile.

"What is going on here?" He demanded, throwing a glare at the blond boy before turning to his friend, who looked positively dangerous. Harry's green eyes were alight with blazing hatred, all directed at his enemy. Remus was, for the first time since meeting the raven-haired teen, scared at what he saw. "Harry, calm down."

Malfoy grinned when he saw his opponent lower his weapon at the other teen's request. The blond stalked over to the two friends, close enough to reach out and punch them. "Did he promise a good lay if you put your wand down, Scar-face?"

"Malfoy, fucking shut up!" Harry spat, struggling to remove himself from Remus' grip so he could physically kill the boy in front of him. Malfoy laughed maliciously.

"Oh, this is priceless. The Boy-Who-Lived is a fag! Wait 'til the papers hear this, they'll have a field day!"

"I'm giving you one fucking warning you prick, go elsewhere with your insults." Remus finally said, his tone low and dangerous. Brown eyes met gray, the former looking completely murderous.

"Afraid I'll make your slut cry, Holmes?" Malfoy shot at the wolf. That turned out to be the wrong thing to say, for in the next second the blond Slytherin was laying on the floor, clutching a bloody lip and Remus was upon him, fists flying while Harry tried to stop him.

Hermione happened upon this exact scene and gasped in shock. She knew that McGonagall was heading this way as she stared at the jumble of limbs that were Remus and Malfoy, and hurriedly tried to get the two boys to separate before the teacher met the same sight.

"Remus, get off him!" She cried as she helped Harry pull the blond Gryffindor away from the now swollen and bleeding lump that was Malfoy. Remus had a cut above his eyebrow, a swollen lip from a lucky punch Malfoy had managed to land, and his eyes were still furiously trained upon the Slytherin. "Harry, we've got to get him out of here. McGonagall is going to be here any minute!"

"Fuck!" Harry snarled, wrapping one of Remus' arms over his neck as Hermione did the same. The two nearly dragged Remus away from the scene and to the tower, where they deposited the blond on the couch. "Now what the hell are we going to do? You can bet Malfoy'll say Remus attacked him for no reason."

"Why were those two fighting?" Hermione asked in confusion as she conjured a wet cloth and an ice pack. Remus held the ice to his lip and Hermione began cleaning the cut over his eye as she waited for a response. The wolf grinned slightly.

"I was defending Harry's honor." He said with a pathetic-sounding chuckle. Hermione raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but didn't further question it.

"You're an idiot for doing that, I hope you know." Harry told his friend softly, coming to sit beside him. Hermione suddenly began giggling and the two turned to look at her questioningly as she banished the now bloody cloth and placed a bandage over Remus' brow. She looked at Remus for a moment before responding.

"Remus was putting his name to good use." She finally said, and the wolf looked at her nervously. "There's an author named Oliver Holmes, who once said the right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."

Harry glanced between the two for a moment before bursting into laughter. Hermione joined him while Remus just looked at the two in amusement.

"Remus isn't exactly the person I would think to hit someone." Harry explained, catching his breath and looking at his male friend warmly. "Thank you, by the way. That, though stupid, was good of you to do."

Remus shrugged, giving Harry a serious look. "Even if what Malfoy and Ron believe is true, it doesn't give that bastard the right to insult you over it. There's nothing wrong with it, and I hope you know that."

Seeing that the two had some talking to do, Hermione politely excused herself and went to the other side of the common room to do some of her homework due after the break. Remus and Harry sat for a while in silence, just staring at each other. Finally, Harry broke the gaze and glanced down as his hands.

"How'd you know?" He asked quietly, and Remus blinked. So it is true. He thought to himself before giving Harry a small smile.

"Honestly, I didn't. I just wanted to make sure, if it was true, that you didn't take what that prat said and what Ron's reaction was to heart." Remus told him softly.

"Thank you, Remus. I was afraid that you'd take off running if you found out, as well." Harry confessed, not taking his eyes off his hands which were fidgeting in his lap. Remus smiled gently and put a hand under Harry's chin, lifting his head so he could meet the teen's eyes.

"I'd never estrange you for something so stupid, Harry. You're my friend and I care about you." He told him, and Harry broke into a bright smile that lit up his eyes. Remus was momentarily out of breath at the sight, before mentally smacking himself. I'm supposed to be distancing myself from him, not growing more attached. He thought in despair.

Harry shot forward, giving Remus the biggest hug of his life that inevitably knocked his breath out once more. "Harry, I'm having a bit of trouble breathing here."

The boy pulled away and his smile turned a bit sheepish. Remus chuckled and the two went on to discuss mundane matters from there, until there was a sudden boom that made them jump and turn toward the portrait entrance. McGonagall stood there looking murderous.

"What in the name of all that is holy did you two do to Mr. Malfoy?" She screeched, and both boys winced at the volume. "He was nothing but a bloody mess when I found him, and he has a broken rib!"

A broken rib? The two boys thought in horror, glancing at each other from the corner of their eyes worriedly.

"Mr. Holmes, unless you have a very good excuse for what you've done, I'm afraid you're going to be expelled at the least." McGonagall told him in the tone of voice you'd usually only hear at an execution. Remus gulped, his heart suddenly freezing at this information. Harry's hand fell on his shoulder and tightened to a nearly painful grasp, but Remus didn't feel it. He was in complete shock.

"Professor, he was defending me." A feminine voice intoned from behind the boys, who whipped around to find themselves staring at Hermione, who had an ugly bruise on her cheek. Both raised a brow at the sight, wondering where the hell she'd acquired it. McGonagall gasped as she took in the state of her favorite Gryffindor, who looked positively abused.

"Dear girl, what has happened to you?" She muttered in concern, rounding the couch housing the two teenage boys in order to get a better look at the girl. Hermione whimpered as her professor touched the bruise gently, eyes welling up in tears.

"Malfoy hit me. Remus and Harry saw him do so and Remus immediately leapt to defend me, ma'am." Hermione said in a tone that suggested she were truly scarred by the incident. McGonagall straightened and a look of cold fury entered her gaze, her posture was rigid.

"I see. Well, excuse me boys but I must look into this." She said with a sharp biting tone before turning and leaving them there, gaping in confusion. Hermione suddenly dropped all pretenses and smiled at them.

"Hermione, what the hell?" Harry asked, Remus nodded in mute agreement with the question. Hermione moved around the couch to seat herself beside Remus.

"Well, I couldn't very well let Remus be expelled, could I now?" She asked in her usual know-it-all tone, before lifting a finger to wipe at her cheek. The bruise seemed to smear and rub off on her finger. Both boys were now completely confused, and Hermione rolled her eyes at them. "Oh, honestly! It's make-up!"

"But… you don't wear make-up." Harry said slowly.

"I know, but my parents bought me a set for Christmas last year. What else was I to do with it? Besides, they'll be happy to know that I've used it." She responded with a smile.

"Wonder if they'd be happy still if they knew exactly how you used it." Remus mused and Hermione shot him a reproachful glance. He grinned and she huffed in defeat. She definitely would have gotten along with Lily. Remus thought to himself in amusement.

"Harry, Remus… I wanted to apologize for what I've done. I know there's nothing I can do to make you forgive me, but I wanted you two to know that I honestly am sorry." She said, taking on a serious tone. Harry frowned at her, but Remus just smiled.

"Hermione, I forgave you a long while ago." He told her honestly, giving her a small one-armed hug. Harry glanced between them for a moment, and then broke when he met Hermione's pleading eyes.

"If Remus forgives you, who am I to continue to be mad?" Harry said finally, and Hermione broke away from the wolf to give Harry a bear hug. He laughed and hugged her back, while Remus watched on in satisfaction. That's one thing fixed.

 

 


	8. Shenanigans and Lawsuits

The Hogwarts Express was the same as Remus remembered it. The long red and black train was sitting stationary in the Hogsmeade station while a large majority of students mingled around it. There was laughter, gossiping, a few good natured pranks on friends, and teachers standing chaperon to the general chaos. Harry, Hermione and Remus were among the milling teenagers, each carrying their own luggage silently on board to find a compartment. None of the three felt any particular need to solicit on the outside of the train around the other students, as Ron was among them and kept casting them odd looks that made Harry uncomfortable and Malfoy kept glaring at Remus as if he wanted a rematch. So the trio hurried aboard the large transport.

Hermione was still mostly in the dark about the situation between Harry and Ron, as the former didn't want to inform her should she react the same as the red-head. Remus, on the other hand, believed that the girl was probably the only one able to knock some sense into the troubled teenager, and wished very much that Harry would reveal the incident. However, as it was Harry's decision ultimately since it affected him the most, the wolf let it go without prodding the teen to confide in the girl. Of course, that didn't mean that Remus himself wasn't going to give the red-head a good lecture once they arrived and settled at Grimauld. Despite the state of affairs between the two males, Harry seemed to be genuinely happier than days previous and Remus could only assume that the reason for his change in moods had been because he had accepted the boy's sexuality so easily. It had assured the raven-haired teen that he had at least one friend that wouldn't abandon him simply because he took a liking to men.

Remus was confused by Hermione's silence as of late. He had fully expected, when the three were still at odds, for the girl to go off and tell his secret to Harry, if not everyone. Then, once again, after they'd come to terms with the incident and moved past it he had thought she would take the chance to tell the boy. Despite that she hadn't so much as brought it up, and was acting like she didn't know anything. Remus thought, half-amused, that perhaps he had obliviated the girl in his sleep at one point. That particular spell seemed to be his first choice method for getting out of sticky situations. (He had thought of obliviating himself, after all.) But that thought was quickly thrown out, since if he had managed to do that then he was sure Dumbledore would have sensed it and then threw him out on his arse, or at least taken him out of the school to somewhere isolated. Using the obliviate curse on students was highly illegal, after all.

The train was still stationary, many students not yet boarded, when the compartment door opened and a sandy blond head that was strikingly familiar popped in. Professor Lupin greeted them all with a kind smile, the greeting returned by each. Remus noticed that the older man glanced at him from the corner of familiar amber-brown eyes, the look a bit calculating, before the Professor entered the compartment and took a seat next to his younger self. Worried over what the glance might have meant, the young wolf barely snapped out of his daze in time to tune into what Lupin was saying.

"When we get to King's Cross you three, along with Ron… where is that boy, anyway?" The Professor asked. Harry shot a nervous look at Remus, who smiled reassuringly, before Lupin continued as if he hadn't asked the question at all. "You will be meeting a member. You'll recognize them when you see them. They will take you to the Leaky Cauldron, where you will be switched off to another member. From there you will be taken directly to the house. I wish you all good luck, and be safe. With that, I would like to speak with you, Harry, if it's not too much trouble?"

With a affirmative nod, the teen stood and followed the older man from the compartment. Hermione and Remus sat in silence for a moment, the latter contemplating the way that Lupin delivered the message. It was so en-code that Remus had no choice but to acknowledge that this time was full of spies and war. He hadn't really thought on that aspect of Harry's life before, but now that he had been forced to do so he honestly felt sorry for the boy.

Harry had his parents ripped away, lived a life with muggles who wanted nothing to do with him and treated him like a door mat, then found independence with the Hogwarts Letter only to have that happiness virtually ripped away as well with the realization that he was destined to fight a powerful and deadly dark wizard. The boy had it hard, there was no denying this. Remus wished he could do something to help Harry find a happiness that didn't have a shadow cast over it, for he knew how daunting it was to never be able to trust that good things will happen, or remain. The blond teen felt a sudden surge of protectiveness for his friend, and vowed to himself to find a way to make Harry's smile reach his eyes.

"Hm… wonder what you needed to speak with Harry about…?" Hermione asked aloud from her seat across from the boy, who promptly threw her a glare. She just smiled back innocently and lifted a finger to tap against her chin in thought. "For that matter, what exactly is going on between Ron and he? Ron has hardly been speaking to even me, and that is highly unusual."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss matters that have nothing to do with me." Remus informed her firmly, chewing his bottom lip as he pretended to be busy with a book. Hermione raised an eyebrow at his obvious avoidance of the subject.

"Nothing to do with you…? So I suppose then that the rumors aren't true? Huh… and I really thought they were, what a shame." Hermione mumbled quietly enough for Remus to hear, which he growled at.

"No, the rumors are not true. Harry and I are not gay lovers, and I'd thank people to stop making up silly fantasies!" Remus exclaimed indignantly, then frowned when he caught the girl smirking smugly. Ohh, she's good.

"So that's what this whole thing's about? How preposterous; of course you two aren't together, you've only been here for a little under a month. That's certainly not enough time to establish a relationship as yet." The male was nodding at the first two sentences in agreement with the girl, only to freeze as his jaw dropped from the last. As yet? Hermione had one quality that could be considered a gift from Satan, or at least her friends thought so. She was skilled at saying one sentence and getting anyone to reveal anything in response to it. The girl was a master baiter.

"Yet?" Remus muttered questioningly, while Hermione pretended to be only half-interested in the conversation. The slight tilt of the edges of her mouth was an easy indication that she was far more involved that she was letting on.

"Hm? Oh, yes, well… with the way you two act, it would really be no wonder if you ended up together by the end of the year." She answered in an absent manner, her eyes glued to the window and the scenery outside it. The students had all boarded the train by now and they'd be on their way to King's Cross in no time. The girl's face suddenly lost all traces of a smile and her gaze wandered back to the boy's. "But Remus, you need to attempt to avoid creating that kind of connection between you. It won't do either of you any good when you go back."

"What? Whoever said I was interested in Harry in that way?" Remus asked, tone bordering on defensive. "I have no intention of letting a relationship develop between us. I'm not even sure I like guys in the first place. For that matter, I'm trying my best not to let Harry become too attached to me as a friend, also. I knowthat I'll eventually have to go back, and I don't want that to hurt him."

"You can't tell me that you haven't noticed how close Harry is to you already. As of now, his getting hurt when you leave is assured and there's nothing you can do other than not crossing the line between friendship and more." Hermione said softly. Remus' response never came, as at that moment their topic of conversation entered the compartment.

Remus only had one thought revolving around his mind at the girl's words- Shit.

* * *

The Order of the Phoenix's headquarters was buzzing with activity. Over twenty members were currently packed into the kitchen, all talking in hushed whispers as they waited for their leader to arrive and begin the scheduled meeting. Sirius Black was sitting in a chair in the corner of the cramped room, bored with it all. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the other witches and wizards who were ignoring him. There were few people in the Order who chose to converse with the convicted man, most ignoring his presence completely. Currently none of the members who made it their mission to speak with him were there, so he was left sitting in silence by himself.

The kids were due to arrive in just under an hour and Sirius was anxious for them to get there. Harry always made the atmosphere of Grimauld more interesting with his presence. Lupin was supposed to be speaking with Harry about the reason for the current meeting since it involved the boy, and Sirius hoped that it wouldn't take the teenager's mood down too greatly. It was not good news that the boy was being given, unfortunately. Dumbledore had called an emergency meeting- before he was to set off for Bulgaria for the holidays- to discuss this surprising turn of events. As yet, he hadn't arrived to begin the meeting and many key members were still absent as well. This left Sirius in boredom as he waited for things to commence.

Another five minutes went by, which felt like an hour to Sirius, and still no Dumbledore or anyone else. The gray-eyed man was beginning to get fidgety, he wasn't used to sitting silently for so long. Two more minutes and he decided he needed to do something before he exploded in a mass of hyper-active dog ooze. That would not be pretty at all. The man stood from his chair and exited the kitchen silently, noting that no one had witnessed, or cared about, his departure from the gathering. He walked to the door confidently, paused a moment to assure himself that no one was around to stop him, before twisting the handle and opening it slowly. A moment later a black dog was bounding down the street, tongue hanging out of it's mouth in pure excitement.

Sirius was most likely going to get flogged for this, but as of now he didn't care. Life is too short to spend worrying.

* * *

The witch was tall, blonde and overly plump. Her clothing choice was an eyesore that made anyone who looked at it for even a nanosecond wince; lime green with neon purple weaved in at certain key points. The god forsaken pumps that adorned the witch's feet, which the four teens felt immense pity for, emitted the most annoying sound they'd ever heard as the five people walked along the cobblestone path in Diagon Alley. Something akin to nails on a chalkboard, they were convinced, would have been a blessing compared to this curse. Currently the woman had spoken no more than two sentences to the four teenagers, something along the lines of- "Follow me.", as well as "don't dawdle!" in a very demanding, whiny tone of voice. Harry secretly believed her to be Voldemort's spawn, for only something purely evil could be that disagreeable.

Ron and Hermione were keeping their distance from the other two males, all four hadn't spoken a word to one another since meeting up outside King's Cross. Harry was a bit miffed at Ron's blatant cold shoulder, while Remus hoped that Hermione would be able to knock some sense into the red-head before this situation got any worse. The woman who was leading them to their floo point stopped abruptly in front of them, Harry was so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed her halt and walked into her. The other three stared at the woman, who turned and glared at Harry with an increasingly red face. Hermione stepped behind Ron apprehensively while Remus clenched his fist and stepped a bit closer to the targeted boy. The overwhelming feeling of protectiveness had returned once more.

"Why you little-!" The woman began in a scathing tone before stopping abruptly, a pained and pinched expression crossing her features as she let out an undignified screech and propelled forward, nearly knocking the frightened teen before her over. Remus pulled Harry aside just in time to avoid being flattened, while Ron and Hermione jumped out of the path of destruction as well. Confused, all four teens watched as the woman fell flat on her face, then turned to see what caused her reaction. Sitting innocently in front of them, tail wagging with what they swore to be an amused smirk, was a large black dog. Harry, Hermione and Ron's eyes widened in surprise, while Remus' expression turned slowly from confusion to nervousness. Was this dog who he thought it was?

"Snuffles! What the hell are you doing here?!" Ron exclaimed to the canine, who bounded happily toward the four. Snuffles? That confirms it… it's Sirius.

Harry was bowled over by the dog form of Sirius Black, laughing as the canine slobbered all over his face. Remus stayed where he was, watching this interaction with interest. It had been so long since he was able to see his friend and, through all of the events that Sirius was put through, it was nice to see he'd retained his naturally playful demeanor. Hermione was scowling at the dog, much to Remus' amusement, in a very disapproving manner which reminded the blond of Lily Evans. Harry pushed Snuffles off of him and sat up with a wide grin on his face.

"This isn't good. Snuffles, you aren't supposed to be here." Hermione reprimanded firmly, the canine-man paying no attention to her scolding. Rolling her eyes, the girl gave up; there was no reasoning with Sirius when he did something like this.

"Ugh…" The witch who'd been leading them to their destination grunted, swiveling her head back to stare at the thing that had bit her. A glare was thrown when she spotted the dog, though Harry didn't think that the woman knew it was Sirius. The man tended to keep his animagus form a secret from others so he could do things like this. "One of you brats come here and help me up."

There was a moment of hesitation, all four teens glancing around at each other as if to say "I'm not doing it," before Harry finally sighed in a long-suffering manner and went to retrieve the woman from the ground. It took two minutes and a lot of pulling on Harry's part before the witch was finally on her knees and able to pull herself up the rest of the way. She didn't so much as thank Harry for his help.

"That flea-bitten mongrel bit me on the rear! Stay away from it, who knows what it could be infected with? Thank goodness I've had my rabies vaccines." The woman said in a disdainful tone, Harry discreetly grabbing the scruff of Snuffles' neck to keep him from charging the woman and biting her again as he very much looked like he was going to. Remus stepped beside the dog-man and put on what his friends in his own time had dubbed the 'teacher's pet' expression.

"Ma'am, I do believe we should be going now… we're supposed to arrive at a specified time so as to assure everyone that nothing adverse has happened to us, correct?" He said with a charming tone. The woman blinked at him, flushed.

"Well, yes, you're quite right my dear. Let's be on our way then." And turned to continue walking, red straining her cheeks and nose. Hermione, Ron and Harry all stared at Remus in shock while Snuffles decided to yip to show his opinion on the situation. The dog seemed to be eyeing Remus closely, which made the blond a little nervous as he wasn't sure if Sirius knew it was him or not. Deciding to hurry things along and get to somewhat more comfortable ground than the walkway of Diagon Alley, Remus turned and followed the woman with a wave of his hand to indicate that the others should do so as well. Harry finally snapped out of it and hurried to catch up with the wolf.

"How in the world did you manage to do that? It looked like she was seriously considering jumping your bones." Harry said with a chuckle, to which Remus only shrugged. His prepared response, 'My friend used to be the master at charm, I picked up a few things,' probably wasn't the best thing to use when said friend was currently walking between the two boys. Snuffles was eyeing Remus in such a way that it made him nervous, near to the point of fidgeting with his hands.

"I don't know, really… it just kind of came to me." Remus responded instead, giving a small smile. Harry seemed to accept that answer and they walked together in silence, both ignoring one of the two people behind them pointedly. Ron, after his initial shock of seeing Sirius, had reverted back to his cold shoulder phase. Remus gave a mental eye roll at the boy.

The group of six, including the dog, came to a stop on the outskirts of Diagon Alley, right in front of an old house. From the looks of it there'd been no one living there for over thirty years. The woman leading them gave a harsh glare before pointing to the door.

"Get inside already, I don't have time for slow pokes and dawdlers." She hissed. Ron and Hermione entered first, the former looking slightly apprehensive. Harry knew the reason for this would be that old houses contain spiders, as a general rule. Remus followed behind the two, Harry and Snuffles bringing up the rear. The interior of the home looked exactly as you'd expect; dust everywhere, sheets over furniture, spider webs in the odd corner. Hermione was sneezing her head off, mostly due to her allergy of dust and all things like it.

Their disagreeable escort soon followed them inside, moving past them all to take up the lead once more. They followed her into what was, at one point, intended to be a sitting room complete with a fireplace. As they gathered around it, Remus glanced to Snuffles in silent thought. A dog couldn't speak, obviously, nor could one hold something as loose as floo powder… so the obvious options left to them were that either Snuffles was going to have to change back into man, or someone was going to have to hold onto him as they used the floo. And, if Sirius was indeed an on-the-run convict in this time, it would be very poor judgment for him to transform into himself for the last leg of the journey, so that left them with the one choice.

"We're going in groups of two so as to optimize our travel time. Let's see… You, with the bushy hair, will be going with me; I suppose, since it's absolutely necessary that the mutt tag along," Here she sneered at Snuffles, who bared his teeth in retaliation much to the teenagers' amusement. "The dimwit red-head can accompany it. That leaves our savior and Mr. Charm to go together. Everyone got that? Good, on with it then."

As the blond witch (Though Harry was thinking something similar that happened to rhyme…) turned around to grab a handful of floo for herself and Hermione to use, Harry and Ron simultaneously threw a rude hand gesture at the woman's back, then glared at each other for daring to do the same thing. Remus found it utterly amusing to observe, and had to fight to bite back a chuckle at their behavior.

Within moments the two females were gone to the secure location designated for their arrival, followed closely by Snuffles and Ron. As Harry and Remus were standing in the green flames, just in the process of announcing their destination in unison, Harry sneezed on the last syllable. Remus' eyes widened as fireplaces started spinning around them in a flurry of chaos, Harry reaching out to hold tightly onto his forearm to stave off a his anxiety. The raven-haired boy had already went through the irksome situation of flooing after stating his destination wrong and was weary of where this mishap would lead the two now.

They were suddenly stopped and thrust out through a gray fireplace, falling in a tangle of limbs onto the floor of wherever they'd arrived. Harry groaned, feeling a dull throb in the back of his skull from the impact of head-to-floor. Remus was coughing, desperately trying to dislodge the bit of ash he'd inhaled by chance. The two boys made quite the scene- The blond laying flat over the other, one arm on each side, legs intertwined in a way that could be construed as being intimate, faces close enough to touch noses.

This was how Madam Malkin found the two on the floor of her shop. For a moment she just stared at them, stunned at the picture she'd happened upon. During this time, Remus finally caught his breath and took in his surroundings, noticing exactly how compromising his position with Harry was. The second boy seemed to come to his senses as well, a dark blush crossing his nose and cheeks as he blinked up at Remus. All was silent for a moment, the atmosphere heavy with a nervous tension, as the three people tried to think of something to say or a way to delicately defuse the current situation. In the end, caution was ultimately thrown to the wind.

"What in the blazes is going on here?!" Malkin shouted with fury, hands fisted on her hips as she loomed over the two boys. Both scrambled to remove themselves from one another, getting to their feet in a hurry. Remus now sported a tinge of pink on his pale skin as well as Harry.

"Ma'am, it's not-" Harry started feebly, only to be cut off by the enraged seamstress.

"Don't the two of you have any decency? This is a public place and I will not put up with these types of shenanigans in my shop! How dare you both?! You have defiled my pride and joy, no amount of spell work is going to rid me of your atrocious act of desecration!"

Remus raised an eyebrow at that; she was milking this for all she was worth, wasn't she?

"We may be more accepting of your… your type now days, but that does not give you the right to publicly put what should only go on behind closed doors on exhibition for all to see. Why, I never in all my years of life…"

This was getting old, fast. Harry cast his gaze around to get his bearings; he'd been in this shop years ago and still had the layout firmly imprinted in his mind. With a start of joy, he realized that the exit was a mere ten feet to the boys' left. He began to slowly shift his feet in that direction, looking to his right to catch Remus' eye. Once the two locked gazes, Remus seemed to read his mind and smirked.

"I believe, Madam, that we shall take our shenanigans elsewhere…" He broke into the woman's rant abruptly. Harry took hold of his hand and they booked it to the door as fast as their athletic bodies would allow, both throwing an amused "See ya!" over their shoulders as they threw the door open to freedom.

After they'd merged with the crowd of busybodies in the street of Diagon Alley, they slowed to catch their breath, huge grins on their faces as they could still hear the seamstress's shouts from their position.

"That was hilarious." Harry breathed, absently ruffling a hand through his hair to straighten out the wind's damage to the locks. Remus nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it was." Remus said as he looked around them. He knew Diagon Alley well enough from his multiple visits in his own time, but it looked a lot different now than it had back some twenty years previous, so the teen was at a loss as to where to start. As he began to bring his hands together to fidget, Remus realized Harry was still holding his left. "Uh… Harry?"

"What is it?" The boy asked, then paused when he felt Remus tug on his hand. The blush returned full force as the raven-haired teen hurried to release the hand he held captive. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright." Remus said, turning his head to hide his own small blush. The silence that developed between the two began to get uncomfortable, which made Remus hurry to dispel it. "So now what are we to do? I don't remember the way back to the floo point, do you?"

"Don't worry, I have an idea. I actually do remember the trek back to the old house, but do you honestly want to put up with more of that woman than necessary?" Harry asked as he shifted to avoid bumping into a bystander.

"No, not really." Remus agreed, "What is your plan, then?"

"Follow me, I know some people." Harry responded with a smile.

Five minutes later found the two boys standing in a notorious shop, known for all types of despicable products only to be used by the most demented of the demented, the place whose founders were behind nearly all of the greatest dastardly deeds to take place in certain institutions and one home… Remus blinked as he re-read the name on the sign for the day's specials on the counter. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

"Some people, huh?" He questioned while eyeing a particularly nasty-looking product on the shelf to his left, taking a step slightly closer to his companion. "Would this happen to have any relation to another Weasley we know and love?"

"There's your answer." Harry replied simply, pointing to the side office where two red-heads were emerging. There was no doubt about it- these two were of the relation to Ron. "Fred! George! How's it been?"

The twins locks their gazes on the two boys standing at the entrance to their shop, both breaking into identical grins. Twins made Remus nervous, and as such the boy backed up a step as the two advanced on them.

"Harry! So good of you to come and visit our humble establishment," Fred began as he and his brother made their way over to the two.

"Yet we seem to remember something or the other about you supposing to be somewhere else than here," George picked up where his twin left off, grin turning particularly mischievious as he spied the slightly nervous look on the blond teenager's face.

"Dare we assume that the Boy-Who-Lived is causing general mayhem and mischief with his absence from said elsewhere place?" Fred finished as the two stopped in front of the teens. Harry shrugged in a helpless manner.

"Got into another row with a fireplace, I'm afraid." He replied, sending the red-heads into a fit of laughter at the memory of Harry's past troubles.

"Where'd you end up this time?" Fred inquired.

"Malkin's." Remus offered with a polite smile. George winced at the name.

"She's been in a particularly foul mood lately, seems to think we burned the robes she made for the minister with some of our prototype fireworks…" He informed them sheepishly.

"'Course, we'd never do a thing such as that, right George?" Fred added on with an innocent smile.

"Right you are, Fred." His twin agreed with a firm nod. Harry burst into laughter at that, Remus chuckling himself.

"And just how well did your fireworks turn out?" Remus asked in amusement. The two interacted exactly like Sirius and James, it was like his two best friends were standing in front of him again. The blond found himself forgetting his slight phobia of twins in favor of interacting with the amusing duo.

"Oh, it was splendid, the resulting explosion from the initial blast was something to be admired, indeed!" Fred replied with an excited tone, George smacking him upside the head for his statement.

"We're supposed to be innocent Fred, remember?"

"Oops, right; lawyers and all that fun stuff."

"You're being sued?" Remus asked in amazement. The two were being taken to court and they acted as if it were a simple trip to an amusement park? This duo was something else.

"Oh, just a minor lawsuit, nothing to be worrying over." George informed him.

"Yeah, a couple thousand galleons. Nothing big." Fred agreed with his brother, then shot them both a calculating look. "But we're innocent, see?"

"Yes, guilt-free, got it?" George pushed.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with us." Harry told them with a grin, then his expression turned slightly more serious. "Back to the being elsewhere thing… do you two suppose we could use your floo to get to the place? We seemed to have, ah… lost track of our friendly escort."

"Friendly you say? Must have sent Bertha. Bitch, that one is." Fred snorted, "Sure you can use the floo here, I'll take you up to the fireplace. George, mind the shop, ay?"

"Sure thing, dear brother. Anything to help out a shenanigan in progress."

Poor George was still confused, as the three climbed the stairs to the flat above the shop, as to the reason for Remus and Harry's hysterical laughter after his statement.

* * *

"Where are those blasted boys?" Bertha wailed, causing the two teens and one dog to wince at the volume. The four had been waiting for over half an hour at the run down shack that they'd ended up after flooing, yet still had not seen hide nor hair of their missing two. The blond woman was pacing the floor erratically, on the verge of having a conniption, while the two teens were standing off to the side, both worrying over their missing friends as well. Snuffles was sitting in front of the fireplace, probably not the best place to be if the two did show up as the canine would be flattened by their arrival. Ron scoffed suddenly, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.

"We should just go, they'll come along eventually. Probably just took advantage of the abandoned house to snog each other senseless." He said with a disgusted expression crossing his features. He turned to look at Hermione. "Did you know Harry was gay? I'm figuring you didn't because you're still hanging around him."

"Oh Ron, shove a sock in it. Harry isn't gay." Hermione snapped, throwing a glare at her friend. The red head cocked an eyebrow at her statement, both not noticing the black dog which had whipped his head around to listen in on their conversation.

"He's not? Then why are he and Remus always flirting?"

"No, he's not. Harry is bisexual." Hermione replied.

 

 


	9. Friends, Family and Nightmares

Remus and Harry were dumbfounded upon entering Grimauld; They had floo'd straight from Fred and George's shop to the fireplace at headquarters, only to stumble upon a completely chaotic scene. Molly Weasley seemed to be having a panic attack or mental breakdown, whichever, and dozens of Order members were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The two teenagers were confused. As such, they stayed planted where they'd landed on the floor in front of the hearth in the sitting room, just staring at the insanity, jaws slack. Harry's first thought as to the reason for the hectic air was that Voldemort had attacked. Remus didn't know what to think at all.

Two minutes of silence and the boys were spotted by Tonks. She let out a cry of surprise upon sighting the teens, immediately putting everyone in the house in a state of suspended animation. The pause was so abrupt that a few people fell over from the momentum of how fast they had been moving, others crashing into each other. After everyone calmed, Molly Weasley sent her best scowl in the two boys' direction.

"Where have you been?! We've been worried sick! Just disappearing like that, what were you thinking?" The woman was ranting, hands perched on her hips. "Imagine! Bertha showed up with the other two and you're no where to be seen? What do you think we thought?"

"Sorry Mrs. Weasley…" Harry mumbled sheepishly, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck in a nervous habit. Molly huffed in irritation, though her glare softened a few notches. Remus looked at the woman closely as she gave them a scolding; he could tell from the hair instantly that this was Ron's mother without needing Harry's verbal confirmation.

"Well then, out with it! What happened?" She demanded. Harry and Remus glanced at each other quickly, silently agreeing that Harry would be the one to speak as he knew the woman best.

"Well… I mispronounced the name of where we were flooing, ma'am." He was going to add more but was stopped by the mother-hen's abrupt gasp. Molly's hand flew to her chest and her eyes instantly filled with worry.

"Oh you poor dear! You didn't turn up in Knockturn again, did you? Any injuries? Were you harassed? Accosted? Are you traumatized?" She fired off in quick succession, Harry ignoring the look Remus sent him at the mention of Knockturn Alley.

"No, nothing like that. We actually ended up in Malkin's robes shop. From there, since neither of us remembered the way to the floo point," Remus hid his smirk of amusement at the lie, "we went to Fred and George's and they let us use their floo."

"Well, good. Now that you two are located and safe from harm, why don't you go rest up a bit? Harry, be a dear and show Remus to the room you usually share with Ron. He's asked to share a room with Charlie instead, how nice of him." Molly said in a proud tone and it was obvious she's misconstrued her son's real intentions for switching out of Harry's room. The green-eyed boy rolled his eyes discreetly at the information before standing up and dusting himself off. Remus mimicked his actions and once both boys were soot-free they excused themselves and tromped out of the sitting room.

Remus took his time looking around the old house as they moved through it; he'd been there once before, a memory he really didn't relish, and he was startled at how much everything had stayed the same in over twenty years time. There were a few differences of course; portraits were missing here and there, a few pieces of furniture were changed out for something a bit newer, but overall it still looked exactly as it had under the strict thumb of Sirius' malicious parents. He frowned as the two ascended the stairs, catching sight of the portrait of Sirius' mother hidden behind curtains. That woman had been the worst human being he'd ever met and in his life that was saying quite a lot. She'd given his friend nothing but grief ever since he'd entered Hogwarts and been sorted into Gryffindor. Remus recalled how, when he'd briefly visited the home in his fourth year, the witch had snarled her nose at him and immediately told Sirius to 'Leave the trash he came across on the street out of her clean house.' He scowled darkly at the remembrance.

As the two boys rounded the second floor, Remus found his gaze drawn to one of the doors to the left of them; it was the library which had, in his time, contained more books on the Dark Arts than he'd ever seen in one place. The Black family tapestry was also housed in this room, he remembered and wondered if it still remained. Surely someone would have taken down the disgraceful excuse for a family tree, what with all the blasted holes over family members' faces? He'd have to check on that since his curiosity was now piqued. Harry led him further down the hall, stopping at the second door to the last and pushing it open. Remus knew the room instantly; it had belonged to Sirius' brother, Regulus. He'd never been inside, of course, as he didn't get along (more like Regulus didn't like him,) with the younger boy, but Sirius had introduced the room as "Reggie's" whilst showing Remus around back then.

The two teenagers stepped into the dark room, Harry flicking on the switch which illuminated it starkly. The blond teen took in the twin beds, one pushed against the eastern wall, the other against the western; there was a bedside table beside each bed, one filled with a few miscellaneous boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, the other barren. There was a closet on the western side of the room, then a door which Remus guessed led to a bathroom on the eastern wall. A small radio sat on a dresser beside the door. Harry went straight for the bed against the eastern wall, plopping down on it heavily. He gestured to the other bed.

"That used to be Ron's, guess it's yours now. You can just toss all that rubbish out." He informed Remus, waving a hand at the mess on the bedside table. Remus walked over to the unoccupied bed and sat down on the edge, hands behind him to hold his weight as he leaned back. Harry sighed and threw an arm over his eyes, Remus watching him with a calculating look.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked softly, knowing Harry would understand 'it' to be the situation between he and Ron. His companion shrugged, frowning, and Remus waited.

A few seconds passed, then with a grunt Harry spoke; "I don't know how to deal with this, I guess. I mean, Ron and I've been friends for seven bloody years; what am I supposed to do when one detail about me makes him act like a prick?"

"I think, honestly, that he's just shocked. Perhaps he's never had a friend who liked his own gender? Maybe that makes him uncomfortable? I'm not entirely sure and all that is just speculation, but I'm positive that he doesn't hold anything against you personally."

"Yeah, I think I realized that as soon as I sat and thought about it that day… it's just, how do I ease his nervousness? What's he worried about exactly, anyway? Without knowing any of that, I don't think I can make this situation better." Harry responded, removing his arm and sitting up to face Remus as he spoke. The blond took a breath before responding, weighing his words carefully.

"I don't believe it's up to you to fix the situation, Harry. I think Ron has to do it on his own, come to terms with this and what it means. Without being able to accept that you're still his friend no matter what your sexual preference is, this situation can't be resolved. So really- and I know it's hard- you just have to wait him out." He said carefully, hoping that Harry understood what he was saying. "I know he'll eventually come back and apologize, anyone with even Ron's brain size knows it would be a crime to let a friend as good as you go because of something stupid like this."

Harry had an abashed expression on his face at Remus' last words, which amused the amber-eyed boy. The embarrassed teen seemed about as good as him at taking compliments, neither knowing how to respond once getting one thrown at them. Remus smiled at his friend, letting his gaze wander to the ceiling in thought to give Harry time to process his words fully unhindered.

Harry stared at Remus while running through what his companion had said, knowing that he was right, as the blond usually was. Remus was extremely intelligent, probably rivaling Hermione or maybe even a bit more knowledgeable than the girl. What Harry liked about Remus was that he was a quiet intellect- where Hermione knew she was smart and seemed to like to shove that in other people's faces, Remus just sat back and helped when necessary. One of Harry's favorite past times lately was to try and guess what the blond boy was thinking when he was quiet and staring off into space, much like right now.

"Thanks, Remus. I probably wouldn't be able to deal with this without going mental if not for you." Harry said sincerely and watched as Remus lowered his head to lock eyes with him.

"I'll always be here when you need me, Harry." Remus told him, knowing that whether it be him as a teen or his older self, he would be around to support his friend. Always.

A comfortable silence descended upon the pair, both becoming lost in thought. Harry smiled as he thought back to earlier that day at Madam Malkin's shop, remembering how much fun he'd had. One thing could be said about Remus- he was a contradiction. When one hears that another is quiet and bookish, one of the first words that usually comes to mind is 'boring', however Remus was nothing of the sort. There was never a dull moment around the wolf. Harry was beginning to value his friendship with Remus as much as he did his friendships with Ron and Hermione, which was quite the accomplishment for the blond since Harry had only known him for a little over two weeks.

"There you two are!"

Harry and Remus both started as the door was thrown against the wall with a bang, a frizzy-haired beast crashing into the room loudly and pouncing on Remus with a "plop", bowling the male over and nearly sending both beings to the floor. Harry chuckled as Remus groaned at Hermione's assault. The wolf's abuser gave him a hug so crushing that he couldn't breathe for several seconds. Harry decided to take pity on the poor boy and got up from his bed, prying Hermione off of his blue-faced friend. This was a mistake, however, as in the next second he found himself in the same bone-shattering hug.

He coughed, "Hermione, AIR!"

"Don't you Hermione me! You two disappeared for over an hour, I thought the worst! Oh I'm just so glad you're both alright, what on Earth happened?" The girl fired off quickly- each boy being sure they'd missed at least part of it- disentangling herself from her impromptu hug in order to fix them both with a worried expression.

The males began to retell their story, leaving out the incident at Malkin's and the apparent lawsuit that was pending for the twins. By the end of it Hermione was looking at them very disapprovingly, but didn't admonish them for choosing to get to Headquarters on their own as she knew it most likely would not stop future indiscretions anyway. The three friends sat and chatted for a while before they were called down for supper by Mrs. Weasley.

Harry, Remus and Hermione exited the boys' room and made their way to the kitchen. As they reached the bottom of the stairs they came upon the person who had been causing them so much grief lately; Ron stood outside the entry to the kitchen, hands in pockets. He was talking to Sirius, though none of the three could tell what exactly was being discussed. Sirius' head turned in the teens' direction when they advanced toward the two. This action alerted Ron to their presence, as he jerked his head to the side, eyes widening when they landed on Harry and Remus, then his expression turned sour and he stomped past Sirius into the kitchen. A frown caught the man's face as he glanced between the door that the red-head had disappeared behind and his godson. Harry, Hermione and Remus all traded similar looks of exasperation.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on with Ron?" Sirius asked, crossing his arms over his chest in a 'I'm-a-stern-adult-fear-me' way. Hermione excused herself from the three males in order to talk directly to Ron- ever since Harry and Remus had disappeared the girl had been working on getting the red-head to see the error of his ways and apologize to Harry. It was only a matter of time in her opinion. After she left, Harry looked his godfather in the eye seriously.

"Ron's being an asshole because…" He was cut off,

"Because he found out you're bisexual?" Sirius asked. Harry's eyes widened and Remus' jaw dropped; how had he known?

"What?" The green-eyed boy asked with a slight stutter. "Where did you hear that?"

"I happened to accidentally overhear Hermione and Ron talking about your apparent sexual preference- am I right in assuming that this fact is the bug that crawled up carrot-top's ass?" Remus chuckled at the new nickname for Ron, which was so like the Sirius he knew. Harry nodded 'yes' to Sirius' question. "Huh, this is a pickle. What are you going to do about it?"

"Wait for him to come around, I guess. There's not much else I can do about it." Harry responded as though it were obvious. Remus just stood beside the boy, trying to act as if he were invisible because Sirius kept shooting him looks that he couldn't decipher but made him feel like the older male knew.

"Harry! Sirius! Remus! Come eat!" Molly shouted from the kitchen, each male wincing at the volume. After one more awkward look from Sirius to Remus, the three went to eat.

* * *

Remus twitched. The atmosphere at the dinner table was tense, as if there was a large black cloud hanging over everyone's heads. The expressions all around were somber, leading the teenage wolf to think that something horrible had happened. Everyone ate in silence, the only words muttered were along the lines of 'will you pass the salt?' or 'can someone hand me the butterbeer pitcher?'

The teenager was seated between a Weasley, whose name he hadn't been able to catch, and a woman with weirdly colored hair that seemed to change in tint every so often. He was sure it was a trick of the light, though, as he had never met anyone who had the ability to spontaneously change their hair color without the help of dyes or charms. Harry was sitting directly across from him, between Sirius and his older self. Hermione was three seats down on the opposite side of the table next to Ron and that Bertha woman. They had been eating for fifteen minutes now with barely a word between any of them and it was starting to really make the teenagers present nervous- the last time the Order had acted like this was when Sirius had nearly been killed at the Ministry of Magic.

Harry, finally fed up with it all, slammed his silverware down on the table and startled everyone. With a glare, he spoke acidly, "When are you all going to get 'round to telling me what the hell's going on?"

Molly gaped at him, "Harry Potter, watch your tongue!"

"Tell me what's going on!" Harry shot right back at her, Sirius glancing at Lupin overtop Harry's head with a worried expression. "You think I'm stupid? That I can't see something's happened? You're all acting like someone died!"

The tension hit a new level after Harry finished speaking, confirming to Remus and Hermione that someone had indeed perished- or at the very least got hurt severely. The girl began to fiddle with her fingers, nervous that it could be her family who were injured, while Remus frowned in concern, hoping that it wasn't someone Harry knew personally- the boy had way too much loss on his shoulders as it was. Molly glared at Harry from her seat but refused to speak another word, not wanting to be the one to reveal what had happened to the boy. There was a short interval where the adult Order members glanced around the table at each other, silently wondering who would be the one to speak up. Another look exchanged between the men flanking Harry and it was decided.

"Harry…" Sirius began, putting a gentle hand on his godson's shoulder in order to brace him for what was to be revealed. The green-eyed boy's head jerked in his godfather's direction, eyes pleading for the man to continue. A deep breath, "The Dursley's were targeted last night."

"What do you mean, 'targeted'?" The boy asked slowly, eyes wide. Lupin wrapped an arm around his unoccupied shoulder, giving a slight squeeze of support.

"The Dark Lord sent a troop of Death Eaters to their house. They were killed, Harry." Lupin told him gently, Hermione and a few others emitting shocked gasps at the news. Harry's eyes began watering at the words.

"What? B-But…" He stuttered, obviously upset at this news. Remus' heart went out to him- he knew what it was to lose family, whether you disliked them or not. No one would wish for the death of their family.

Lupin's eyes showed concern and empathy for the teenager who'd just lost the only relatives he had left, Sirius frowned. The two men stood simultaneously and helped Harry out of his seat, both supporting the teenager as they lead him slowly from the room. It took Remus a while to close his mouth, jaw having dropped at the information. He and Hermione shared twin looks of sadness and concern, both noticing that even Ron seemed upset for their friend.

No one had an appetite after that, most just shoved their food around on their half-full plates dejectedly, a few stood to leave and discuss other things. Molly informed the teenagers that there was going to be an Order meeting as soon as Dumbledore arrived and sent them to their rooms when it became apparent that they weren't going to have any more to eat. Remus didn't see Harry again until a while after midnight.

* * *

"Harry, I'm so sorry." Sirius murmured to the teen. They'd led the boy to the study to comfort him. Sirius was kneeling on the floor beside the chair that the teen was curled up in, Lupin kneeling in front of the chair with his hands on Harry's back, rubbing soothing circles as the teenager cried. The gray-eyed man was holding one of the boy's hands tightly, giving squeezes of reassurance every time the boy let out a sob.

"They weren't supposed to get hurt in this war, damnit!" Harry cried, the hand being held by his godfather clenching to a nearly unbearable hold.

"Harry no one can say for sure who is going to die and who's going to live during a war. It's horrible that it happened to them, true, but you had to know that Voldemort would target those closest to you to get to you. He's done it many times before, it's just unfortunate that he succeeded this time." Sirius said, frowning in confusion when Lupin shot him a venomous glare. Harry hiccupped and his head shot up at those words.

"You're right! Absolutely right!" He exclaimed, looking as if he'd just had an epiphany. "It's all my fault! If I had talked to Dumbledore about maybe hiding them or putting a concealment charm on their house, none of this would have happened. Oh my God, it's all my-"

"Shut up!" Lupin surprised both with the exclamation, even himself. When Sirius and Harry's eyes were on him, he cleared his throat and lowered his voice to his previous soothing tone. "Harry, this is in no way what so ever your fault. It was Voldemort's, you know that. There was nothing, nothing, you could do to stop this from happening. Don't blame yourself, focus on avenging them- take out who's really responsible for their deaths- but never blame yourself, do you understand me?"

Wide-eyed, Harry could do much else than nod slowly with a small, sheepish smile at how foolish he'd just sounded. Lupin smiled and leaned forward, giving the teenager a gentle hug. Harry's lips parted slightly in silent surprise- this was familiar. But why is it familiar? The boy wondered.

"Well, now that we've gotten past Remus' rant for the night, what say we mosey down to the fridge and raid Molly's stock? I do believe she bought some chocolate ice cream earlier." Sirius proposed with a mischievious smirk, inwardly beaming at the fact that his godson wasn't crying anymore- it broke his heart to see Harry like that. His two companions laughed at his idea, though Lupin had a twinkle in his eye that suggested to the others that the ice cream would in fact be gone by morning, espionage or not.

"Sirius, everyone's still awake. Hardly the time for a co-op mission, I'd say." Lupin informed the marauder with a shake of his head. Harry pursed his lips in thought for a moment before grinning.

"There's an Order meeting, isn't there?" He asked, continuing at the men's nods, "Well, why don't we snatch it while everyone's busy?"

"We're supposed to be in that meeting, Harry." Lupin said firmly, knowing that if Sirius agreed to this idea he was out of luck. When those two got together on an idea there was no stopping it- it was just like watching Sirius with James in school again. Sirius' eyes gave it all away and the werewolf sighed long-sufferingly. "Oh fine, but I'm not retrieving the ice cream and if anyone asks, you both tied me up and forced me to eat the chocolate."

The two raven-haired males locked eyes for a moment before cracking up at the thought of anyone believing that they had to 'force' Lupin to consume his obsession.

Three hours after a fun time of talking and pigging out on the cold confection, Harry dragged himself to his room. He opened the door to darkness, realizing at that moment how late it was. He was quiet, using the skills he'd picked up in training to not make a single noise so he wouldn't disturb his room mate's slumber. The teen quickly changed into a pair of sleeping pants and crawled into his soft, comfortable bed, barely taking the time to throw the covers over himself before the stress of the day had him out like a light.

A while later Remus groaned and rolled over. His eyes blinked open slowly, catching sight of the clock on the wall which read 2:46 in the morning, then hearing the noise that had awoken him in the first place. Harry was screaming. The wolf shot out of bed and stumbled over to his friend's, nearly breaking his neck when he slipped on a stray candy wrapped that he'd missed when cleaning his side of the room. He absently swore to suffocate Ron with the stuffed elephant the red-head thought no one knew he slept with.

Remus grabbed Harry's shoulders and shook him gently, trying to wake him from his nightmare. At Remus' touch, Harry was instantly silent, rolling over onto his side to face the nearly hyper-ventilating teenager. The amber-eyed boy scanned his friend's face for any sign of awareness, then realized that the other boy was still asleep. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming his racing heartbeat.

A few minutes went by before Remus was sure that he could return to his bed and go back to his own slumber. As soon as the blonde's hands left his friend's shoulders, the raven-haired teen started wailing again. Wide-eyed, Remus climbed onto the bed beside his friend and tried waking him again; no luck. This was starting to exasperate the blond boy- he needed sleep, too! When it was obvious to the wolf that he wouldn't be moving from his spot for a while, he decided to hell with it and made himself comfortable beside his friend, keeping one hand in contact with the other at all times while he shifted. In the end the two boys lay facing each other, Remus' arm slung loosely over Harry's waist so he wouldn't lose contact with the boy in his slumber.

As Remus was mercifully on the verge of sleep once again he felt his shirt tighten and cracked an eye open. Harry's hands had fisted themselves in the material and didn't look ready to let go anytime soon. The wolf sighed in amusement at the way the raven-haired teen acted in his sleep before he himself fell into dreams.

* * *

Harry was standing in a room that had been carved from stone. Around him lay the bodies of everyone he held dear; his parents, friends, family. He was shaking all over as he stared at the carcasses of those he cared for, a maniacal laughter floating around him from a disembodied voice. Words were murmured from the same voice, cruel words that had the teenager in tears as he listened. The voice was quite obviously Voldemort, which Harry realized in some distant part of his brain, but in this hell hole the voice sounded like his loved ones mixed together, speaking as one.

He fell to his knees in anguish, hands grabbing and pulling at his hair as he listened to the sadistic and hurtful things the voices were saying. They were all true, Harry believed, all one hundred percent true.

"You're the reason we're dead." He heard his mother and father spit at him, "If we hadn't had a monster like you we would be alive today! He was afterYOU!"

"We took you in, clothed you, fed you- gave you everything you needed and yet you killed us. That's how you repay our kindness? With death? It's allYOUR fault!" His aunt, uncle and cousin chimed together and a sob tore from the raven-haired teenager's throat- he didn't want to hear this, didn't want to believe it was true!

"All I ever wanted was to make my father proud." The voice of Cedric Diggory spoke up, "Never got that chance, did I? No! YOU had me killed far before I could!"

"We never expected you to stab us in the back, you traitor!" The voices of the numerous Weasleys said at once, "We stood with you through the war and in the end, YOU let him kill us!"

"I said I would help you until the end, Harry." Hermione's voice piped in, Harry was screaming now but he could still hear the voices above his volume. "I never thought that end would be so soon, that YOU would let him rob me of my very life because I chose to help you!"

"I promised your parents I'd always look after you," No, not Sirius! Harry thought with despair as the marauder's voice mixed with the rest, "I didn't realize that I'd have to actually watch my back around you. YOU betrayed me to him, Harry! How could you?"

How much more could Harry take? Everyone he loved was blaming him for their deaths, and he knew that they were absolutely right. His screams died down with the realization and a numbness settled over his entire body. There was no use getting upset over this, he just had to accept his blame and whatever punishment they felt was necessary.

"I promised to always stand by you, Harry. Always." A final voice entered the room and a silent stream of tears began pouring down the raven-haired teen's face. Not Remus too. The voice was quiet though, after that lone sentence, and Harry could only imagine what else the teenager had been about to say.

His green eyes opened slowly, he wondered absently at what point he'd closed them, only to lock upon the most horrific thing he'd ever seen in his life. All of the corpses were standing now, blood flowing from the few who'd met particularly nasty ends, all of their bodies in the process of decaying. Harry's eyes widened and a string of wails were emitted from his mouth. He fell back, using his legs and hands to scramble away from the haunting image before him.

Among the deceased people staring at him were Ron, Hermione, the Weasley clan, Sirius, his parents, the Dursley's and Cedric Diggory. He let out an ear-splitting screech when they started to advance on him, arms stretched out as if to catch hold of him and cause him the pain that they'd no doubt suffered. Just as they were upon him, they froze and slowly began to turn to dust. Coughing from the substance entering his lungs and eyes, it took a few minutes for Harry to be able to see and breathe again. When he finally was able to get himself under control, he slowly opened his watery eyes, fearful of what would be thrown at him next.

Standing in the middle of a cloud of dust particles was a figure that slowly moved toward him. The teenager braced himself for the inevitable pain to come from the person, keeping his eyes warily on the figure. When the dust settled, Harry's screaming died and he was floored. Standing before him was Lupin, fully alive and with a caring smile on his lips.

"Harry…" He said slowly, gently, "None of this is your fault, I told you that. You should never fear anything from your friends and family, they'll always be there for you even in death. And I will always be there for you no matter what, just like I said, remember?"

Shocked, Harry began to respond to his teacher when everything faded away and the dream disappeared, leaving Harry in a nightmare-less comforting darkness.

 

 


	10. Reconciliation and Realization

 

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

James and Sirius were bored. Mass mayhem and destruction were on the agenda for the rest of the school.

They had to wait a month before they would be able to bring their missing comrade back from wherever he'd gone, and in the meantime they were making sure no one doubted the Marauders' power minus two members. Peter was still off elsewhere, some speculated that he had finally found a girlfriend and that was why he was gone so much, others thought he was working on a top secret Marauder prank for the end of year speech.

Had anyone actually known Peter like Sirius and James did they would understand the hilarity of the latter accusation, as Peter was the stupidest prankster to grace Hogwarts to date. What Peter was really doing remained a mystery though, and as the boy repeatedly blew the two egotistical Marauders off they both sharply marked the teen off their Christmas card mailing list. This may seem trivial to some, but those who knew the Marauders also knew that they weren't going to take a brush off like this so lightly. Bad things were coming toward their mousy friend, Christmas was just the beginning.

As of now, though, the remaining Marauders were sitting at their table in the Great Hall, each having a poker face that the most avid players of the game would sell their soul for. The two calmly ate their pork and beef, casually sipped from their pumpkin juice goblets. Those sitting around them were squirming in their seats, knowing the signs of a prank in progress and hoping that they wouldn't be the intended targets- though it was a rarity for the boys to prank their own house, it wasn't unheard of if they needed to cover their tracks. They'd been known to even administer whatever prank they pulled on themselves just to ease suspicion.

When there were only four minutes left of lunch all hell broke loose. The sound from the Hall was nearly deafening with all the screams and noise. James and Sirius calmly glanced away from their meals to take in their work and bask in the results. The students were in a state of panic, the teachers were trying their best to get things under control. No one was succeeding.

Every single student in the Great Hall had been turned into a naked version of Dumbledore. You can understand the hysteria at this vision. The teachers on the other hand were all being attacked by their food, and the food was winning the battle. Sirius was particularly amused when he spotted Professor Slughorn being choked by his roast chicken.

Of course, a prank of this magnitude would render severe punishment, so the Marauders had also administered polyjuice potion into their own goblets. The two teenagers sent each other winning smirks that looked oddly demented on Dumbledore's kind face before joining in the hysteria as if they didn't know what was happening either.

The real Professor Dumbledore's face was tinged pink.

* * *

Present-time

* * *

Harry slowly came into consciousness with a feeling of absolute security surrounding him. He was warm and comfortable and had he had the choice, he would never leave the confines of his soft bed. The teen snuggled into the warmth, rubbing his nose against his pillow with a content smile on his lips. He couldn't remember exactly what he'd dreamt about that night, all he recalled was a soothing voice telling him gently, lovingly that they'd always be there for him.

As he awakened further an alarm went off in his head; when had his bed ever been this comforting? Harry cracked an eye open to check the time and froze when the first thing he saw was a head of blond hair. He leaned his head back to get a better view of the situation and discovered that it was Remus laying half on top of him, head just below his chin, sleeping soundly. When had this happened?

The teen was at a loss on how to carefully extract himself from a possibly embarrassing situation. Why had Remus gotten into bed with him in the first place? Harry was confused and it showed in the curious twist of his lips as he stared at his friend wonderingly. A few minutes later Remus began to stir, as if feeling the other boy's stare on his head, but remained sleeping. Harry bit his lip in nervousness, unsure of what to think or how he was supposed to react to something like this. A stray thought ran through his head and he was suddenly reminded of the news he'd received last night. His last living relatives were dead.

A sadness grabbed his heart and held on- sure they were particularly nasty to him, but they hadn't deserved death. No one deserved that. A slow trickle of tears began to form and fall down his face as Harry remembered the few nice words he'd heard his aunt say to him, remembered how misguided his cousin was and how he had once snuck him food just because he hadn't ate when they were young. Vernon was certainly a bastard but he was a generally good person, just not to Harry.

The boy sobbed, hand flying to his mouth to try and stifle the noise as he remembered his life with the Dursleys and the news of their death. He never thought he'd be this upset if something happened to them, just goes to show that even if you think you hate your family, you always love them deep down. Another sob escaped the teen and suddenly Harry found himself wrapped in a tight embrace, hands smoothing his hair and rubbing his back while the owner whispered reassurances in his ear. An indiscernible amount of time passed before the teenager calmed down to a few sniffles. Harry pulled his face away from the chest it was pushed against when his friend pulled him into his arms.

Remus looked at his friend closely, noting the signs of sadness still lingering on the boy's features. His heart went out to Harry and a frown graced his lips. "Are you alright?"

"Been better." Harry said honestly, wiping the tear trails from his cheeks. The two lay for a few moments just staring at each other before Harry spoke once more, "Thanks for that."

"It's alright, I told you I'd be there and I meant it." That struck a chord in the green-eyed teen. Where had he heard that before? From his dream, he recalled, but it wasn't in the youthful voice Remus had. It had sounded more aged, scarred in a way. Why was it so familiar? Before Harry could think on it anymore he was interrupted.

"Well, imagine Ron seeing this picture! He'd think you were both together for sure!"

With a groan the two turned their heads to be met with the sight of Lupin and Sirius standing in their doorway. Harry sent a glare to his Godfather who had almost blabbed his secret in front of the still unknowing Lupin. Remus found this insanely amusing since he knew damn well that his older half knew of the circumstances clearly. The two men entered the room as the teenagers sat up and moved away from each other's personal bubble. Lupin sat on the bed in front of Harry as Sirius sat in front of Remus. The four were silent for a few seconds, each collecting their thoughts.

"How are you today, Harry?" Lupin asked carefully. He didn't want to bring up the situation and cause the teenager any more upset than he was already experiencing but he also needed to know that the boy was doing as well as could be expected. Sirius also wanted to know Harry's response and paused his suspicious glancing at Remus to pay attention.

"I'm doing alright, I guess. Still trying to wrap my mind around their absence, honestly." He told them softly, looking at the blanket on his bed as he picked at the comforter. "When's the funeral?"

"Tomorrow." Lupin answered.

Sirius bit his bottom lip in thought for a moment, deciding whether now was the time or not. "Harry, they need you to go through their belongings and choose what you want to keep and what to send to charity."

"Alright, when do we leave?" Harry responded, a slow intake of breath being the only indication that he might not be ready to do this just yet. The other three glanced at each other in concern- Sirius slightly amused at the twin expressions on the two amber-eyed males' faces.

"Whenever you're ready. We have until Thursday to do it, there's no need to rush yourself Harry." Sirius answered and Lupin nodded. Remus watched his friend closely to see if he were going to break down again and was relieved when he saw no sign of it in the other teenager's eyes. There was a thick silence after Sirius spoke, none knowing what else to say to the wounded boy.

"Knock, knock." Hermione said as she stepped into the room and eyed the scene. With not but a raised eyebrow she turned as if to leave, grabbed hold of something and tugged. Ron entered the room with a red face and a bashful expression, wrist held tightly in the girl's grasp as she pulled him over to the bed in front of Harry. "Ron has something he would like to say to you, Harry."

Every eye in the room was on the red-head in an instant. Ron was extremely nervous and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt as he cleared his throat nervously. Why did Hermione have to make me do this in front of everyone?! He thought in despair.

"Uh… H-Harry. Hi." He said slowly, nearly smacking himself when he realized how stupid he'd sounded. Remus and Lupin chuckled in unison, Hermione shooting the younger a look that no one could discern. "Look, I'm sorry for being a prat about all this. I didn't mean to give you a hard time, I just couldn't understand you liking… liking…"

"Our own gender?" Harry supplied with a stiff voice, shoulders squared as if he were expecting Ron to hit him. A small glance out of the corner of his green eyes let everyone know that he was weary of Lupin's reaction to the news. The older wolf didn't bat an eye. The red-head nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Sorry." He replied simply, not knowing what else to say. Harry looked in his friend's eyes for a full minute, amused as the Weasley squirmed under his calculating look.

"Okay." Was all he said. Hermione clapped her hands enthusiastically while Ron smiled slowly.

"Okay? We can be friends again?" Ron wanted clarification.

"We never stopped being friends, you just temporarily turned into an asshole." Harry told him with a laugh. The red-head was a bit offended at that but decided to shrug it off; he probably deserved much more after all that.

Sirius and Lupin glanced at each other with grins- things were starting to get better for the teen.

* * *

The six friends had been talking for little over an hour when a giant explosion rocked the very foundations of Grimauld. Instantly on alert, they whipped out their wands and ran down stairs to see what was going on, ready for any situation and mentally cataloguing the spells they might need to make use of. However, the sight that greeted them in the kitchen was something they were not prepared for.

Molly Weasley was standing in the center of the room, fists on hips, red-faced and screeching at the ceiling. The stove behind her had the oven door blown off, remnants of dishes littered the floor and counters and a kettle was apparently doing the tango with a juice pitcher in midair above the red-headed woman. The walls were marred with what appeared to be breakfast.

The six blinked in unison before bursting into laughter at the scene. A small red-head pushed through the group and came to stand beside Harry, taking in what was going on.

"The twins must be here." Ginny Weasley muttered with a small smile on her face. A set of arms wrapped around her waist and hoisted her up into the air, someone mussing up her hair as she was being lifted. With a frown she glared at the offenders.

"Right you are, our dearest violent little sister, right you are!" George exclaimed with a jovial grin as he made the female Weasley's hair resemble something you'd only find in the bottom of the Loch Ness. Fred let his sister drop back to the ground and poked her sides teasingly, causing her to emit a squeal that hurt the particularly sensitive ears of Remus and Lupin. The two glared daggers at the petite teenager as they rubbed their abused appendages. Sirius had had enough and firmly clamped his hand down on Remus' shoulder, turning toward the stairs.

"Let's you and I have a little chat, shall we?" He said sociably. Remus felt his impending doom upon him.

* * *

They were vermin, every single one of them. Little rats that scampered around as if they owned the place, taking and taking and taking until there would ultimately be no more to steal. Even that wasn't enough, oh no, for they not only required the skills and secrets of magic, they also needed to be equal to all who were rightfully born and bred to wield it. Equal. How preposterous a notion! They were vermin! The very scum of the wizarding world and he intended to show them for what they were. After he rid the world of half-breeds and mudbloods, his name would go down in history forever alongside of Salazar Slytherin himself!

He could already feel the majesty of fame and fortune that would shine upon him- hear the victorious, worshiping cries of those he protected. It made a feeling of ecstasy run through his body, to the tips of his fingers and toes as he imagined them hailing him as their savior, their God. And all that stood in the way of his rightful glory were a few undeserving vermin. Well, he would bestow his righteous judgment upon those ingrates, those thieves. It was only a matter of time before he succeeded in annihilating every single spec of dust on the wizarding world. Only a matter of time. Fist clenched, teeth bared in a grim excuse for a smile, the monster addressed his troop.

"Men… have we not suffered in silence under the rule of an uneven justice system for far too long? Put up with the disgusting sight of mudbloods, half-bloods, blood traitors roaming our land? Going to the same school as our children?" He spoke commandingly, calling every individual in the room to attention as he carried out his speech. A roar of agreement erupted from his would-be disciples, fists raising in the air to show their indignation. His demented crimson eyes gleamed with the anticipation of blood shed, body buzzing with the natural high of being in power. His smile turned slowly into a malicious smirk. "We have dealt a large blow to theheart," Voldemort spat the term as if it were acidic, "of the supposed savior of the impure ones, but it is not enough! We have to get closer to Potter, find out what he cares for the most and rip it apart. Only then will we be able to cripple him in such a way that our victory is assured."

In the silence that followed his words a lone voice raised from the back of the crowd. "We have discovered what the boy cares about most, my Lord!"

Voldemort indicated with a wave of his hand that the speaker should come forward. Into the light stepped Malfoy senior and junior, superior smirks on each face. Voldemort addressed Lucius, "What is it that you have found, Malfoy?"

"The driving force behind Potter is his friends. Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley-" Voldemort cut him off;

"We already know about these two, Lucius. Unless you have new information I suggest you step back into your place before I get irritated."

The Malfoys had been on bad terms with the Dark Lord since the incident in the Ministry of Magic last year. In order to redeem themselves as Voldemort's right hand they had been tailing Potter in school and outside of it. Smirk turning knowing, Draco spoke up.

"Potter," He snarled at the name, "Has acquired himself a lover."

Voldemort's facial expression changed immediately from agitation to interest. Eagerness laced his tone, "You're sure?"

"Yes, sir. I confirmed it shortly before Easter holidays began."

"And what is the name of this new lover?"

"Remus Holmes."

"Hmm… this is very good news. Can you name the nature of their relationship? Is the Potter boy… in love?" Voldemort's face seemed to turn slightly green at the last word, as if he were going to be physically ill just by saying it.

"From what I've seen of their interactions, yes, he is."

"Very good news, indeed." Voldemort murmured with a smile.

* * *

Remus and Sirius were sitting in the library across from each other. The dark-haired man was eyeing the teenager as if he were a complex puzzle that he was on the brink of solving. Remus was staring at Sirius as if he were death himself. A long silence was between them, neither having spoken since they stepped through the doors to the room. Remus had noted with disgust that the family tapestry was still very much in place.

A cough broke the tension. "So, Remus… how are you?"

"I'm doing alright." The amber-eyed boy answered evenly, knowing this was just a trivial prelude to the real reason they were there. Sirius gave his world-famous smirk and began baiting the boy.

"How long have you been here now?" He asked innocently.

"For nearly three and a half weeks."

"I see. And how are you liking Hogwarts? I imagine it's not very much different from where you went before?"

"A bit." Remus had decided to keep his answers short and to the point so he wouldn't give anything away. He wasn't completely sure of Sirius' intentions yet and was loathe to give away his identity if the dark-haired man didn't actually know.

"Hm, yes I imagine it would be a bit different after all." The rest of his sentence hung in the air- after all this time. "What's your favorite class, Remus?"

This was tricky business- Sirius knew everything about Remus, so of course he knew his favorite class as well. Should he lie about it or keep it the same? Lie, of course.

"Arithmancy."

"Is that so?" Sirius said with a chuckle, "I would've thought it was Defense."

He's implying that he knows! Remus thought frantically, outwardly showing no sign of his turmoil. He'd learned the legendary Marauder poker face early on- youneeded it to be a member of that particular group after all.

"Harry really looks a lot like his father, don't you think so Remus?"

"Sirius, just give it up and tell me what you're after." Remus said finally, sternly and was met with a twinkle-eyed look that resembled Dumbledore's all-knowing expression. The amber-eyed boy's face turned suspicious.

"Why are you being so defensive?" Sirius countered.

"I am not being defensive." Remus retorted with a snort, "You're playing twenty-one questions like I'm a convict."

"Seems defensive to me."

"It isn't!"

"I think it is."

"Well, it's not!"

"You're being defensive."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too, Moony." Sirius sang in a way that had always got on Remus' nerves. The 'Nana-nana-na-na' preschool way. Remus' glare turned ice cold.

"I. Am. Not. Being. Defensive." Remus growled threateningly and Sirius grinned in triumph. At the look on his long-time friend's face, Remus ran that conversation over again in his head and groaned. "Prat."

"Always worked when I needed to get something out of you. You're a great thinker, Moony, but you suck under pressure."

"I should bite you right now, but a slice of Sirius just don't agree with my stomach- plus the taste is horrid."

"Always have something witty prepared, huh? You haven't changed, not that I thought you would. At least this is a mystery solved."

"What do you mean by that?" Remus questioned as he shifted in his seat.

"Where you went when the potion went wacko- we never knew to this day." Sirius informed him.

"You never knew?" Remus was shocked by this- he'd been keeping careful notes of everything in his journal which no one knew of- how could it be that Sirius and James weren't informed of everything when he went back? What had happened? "What happened when I returned?"

"You didn't know anything about where you went- it was as if your mind was wiped clean. We figured you either suddenly got amnesia or someone memory charmed you."

"Was I carrying anything when I got back?"

"No." Sirius told him evenly, not wishing to divulge certain things to the teen that might change what he would go through before he returned. Things had to stay the same, after all. "Let me ask you something, now. If you returned right now, memories in tact, what would you say happened to you when you were gone?"

"I was informed of many things that need rectifying- that's what I would say." Remus responded with a nod, sure of his answer. Sirius frowned slowly- obviously not the answer he was searching for.

"I'll ask you that again in a month, I wonder if your answer will be different?" Sirius contemplated aloud, remembering vividly what Remus had told them when he returned- the only thing he seemed able to remember about his absence. Now the dark-haired man knew what it meant, thought it saddened him to know that it would be years before anything could work out properly, and even then there might still be trouble. Shaking the feeling off, the man waved the conversation away mentally and changed the subject to something of particular interest.

"Is there any truth to you dating Harry?" Remus glared, annoyed that another person was bringing up that idiotic idea.

"No, Padfoot- for the love of God, he's James' son! And he looks just like him! It was all a figment of Ron's limited imagination." He said indignantly, crossing his arms in a slightly childish manner.

"Hey, looking like James isn't a bad thing- that guy was a looker." Sirius said with a small wink that Remus rolled his eyes at. Of course Sirius would say that- for the first five years of the Marauder's school days Sirius had had a huge crush on their friend. And the reason why Lily turned James down repeatedly through the years? Sirius sabotaged all of James' 'love' acts. Padfoot was and will always be childish and selfish, but he was a lovable prat.

"Yeah, yeah. I know all about your fascination with James. Luckily you came to your senses this year." Sirius was amused- 'this year' had been twenty years ago for him, yet Remus was still experiencing it. "Sirius… I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?" Said man asked in confusion.

"I could have changed it all when I got back- I've been keeping note of the horrible things that happen- but somehow I botched it."

"Keeping note? You're writing down facts in order to change the future, Remus? That's extremely irrational and totally unlike you."

"Wouldn't you do the same thing in my situation? Our friends die, Sirius, I can't stand by and let it happen when I can change it!" Remus responded heatedly and Sirius was silent- he didn't know what he would do in the wolf's situation.

"Remus, it's been twenty years for me. I've accepted their deaths and dealt with it as best I can. I can't go down memory lane and place myself in your shoes- I'm an adult and I have to be rational. There's no way to bring them back, no way to save them from their path. If it's fate that they die, then they'll die no matter what you try to do."

Remus wouldn't, couldn't, accept that answer and his expression told his friend that quite clearly. A large sigh escaped the man as he remembered how stubborn Remus could be when he was a teenager- Nothing he said was going to change the boy's mind.

* * *

Harry stared at the tombstones of his family. They were side-by-side, black granite with their names, birthdays and date of death inscribed on each. On either side of him were Sirius and Remus, both of whom had offered to accompany him to the funeral. Lupin had been needed for Order business and regretted that he couldn't be there for Harry as well. There were black bags under the emerald eyes- the teenager hadn't been able to sleep that night and Remus- bless him- had stayed up talking with Harry and offering his support until the raven-haired teen had finally passed out in the early morning hours. They were both exhausted and barely able to function that day.

Harry's tired eyes were locked on one name in particular- Petunia Evans Dursley. Evans. It drove home the fact that they were family and now they were gone. Harry didn't have any left and he felt total rage toward Voldemort for taking them away- them, who hadn't done anything to that bastard. Fists clenched, Harry turned sharply away from the gravesite and started walking away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw an aged man standing beside the trees next to the road- watching them. It was either a Death Eater, Order member or some stray funeral attendee that was late in arriving.

As they walked further toward the town proper the emerald-eyed boy kept watching the lone figure and discovered that he never stopped watching them. A glance at Sirius showed that he saw the guy as well and was keeping his eyes trained on him, hand in pocket most likely grasping his wand. Remus remained mostly oblivious of the figure but could feel the sudden tension in his companions, which sent him on alert. They had almost reached the sidewalk to begin walking to their apparition point when it happened- a sudden shot of green flew toward them and the shit hit the fan.

A slew of Death Eaters popped in from numerous locations, disregarding the possibility of muggles seeing them committing magic. That was just further proof of how deep the Dark Lord's reach into the Ministry ran that they could get away with that type of action. A simultaneous glance at each other and the spells started flying from the three Order member's now revealed wands. They took off running in the direction of the apparition point, all three shooting spell after spell at select Death Eaters along the way. The odd thing about this attack was that they seemed to be targeting someone in particular, and it wasn't Harry.

A cry revealed the target- Remus was down, knee held in his free hand bleeding profusely from a nasty curse aimed his way. The Death Eaters seemed to come together as one group before advancing quickly on the werewolf. Sirius and Harry frantically ran toward their friend, whipping out hexes and curses at the speed of light to stall the enemy. Just as they reached Remus the Death Eaters did as well. Two dark-robed and masked wizards disarmed Harry and Sirius, and in a split second they were on their knees beside Remus, surrounded by Voldemort's pawns.

The two who had disarmed Harry and Sirius broke from the group and started to slowly circle the three on the ground, wands pointed firmly at their faces as they gloated in their victory. A third stepped from the pack and walked toward them, cast a spell and the three were tied together by thick ropes, backs pressed together. The third walked toward them slowly and kneeled before Remus, hand coming up to move the teen's face left and right. After what seemed like a careful inspection, the third rose and addressed the troop.

"We got him."

"You won't have Harry for long you boot licker, we're due back at a certain time- when they realize we've been detained they'll send back up. They probably already have!" Sirius snarled at the third man who turned, whipped off his mask to reveal the face of Lucius Malfoy and back handed the dark-haired man. Harry and Remus growled simultaneously at the abuse of their friend- the former doing a surprisingly good job of sounding like an angry wolf as his teenage companion did.

"Harry this, Harry that." The pureblood wizard said mockingly. "We're not after Potter this time, Black."

"Then who-" Harry began in a confused tone, cut off by one of the two Death Eaters who were circling them.

"That one." He quipped and lazily flicked his wand in Remus' direction, a non-verbal spell slicing the teen's cheek. Remus gasped sharply at the injury and Harry felt his blood boil.

"Lay another finger on either of them and I'll slowly disembowel you with my bare hands." The boy said threateningly, Remus shivering at the suddenly icy tone. He'd never known Harry could speak that coldly, that chillingly.

Sirius was having a glaring match with the one who'd injured Remus, the man looking as if he wanted to transform into Snuffles and rip out the other man's throat. In the meantime Lucius had moved around to stand in front of Harry, cane in hand. He smiled at the angry boy before smashing his cane against the raven-haired boy's cheek bone. A thin scratch began oozing blood and a light red welt began to form over the brushed flesh. Harry didn't let out a single noise of pain, used to being treated like this by Voldemort's minions. Remus, however, saw red and began snarling as if he were in wolf form and could rip Lucius to shreds.

"You will do no such thing, Potter, no matter what we do to your lover." The three comrades froze, looked awkwardly at each other before bursting into laughter that the situation really didn't call for. Lucius frowned at their mockery and whacked the boy again, effectively shutting him up and causing him to bite his cheek. "What on Earth do you find so funny, boy?"

"Remus is not my lover, I have no idea how this misunderstanding reached Voldemort's ears-" The look on Harry's face, however, showed he knew damn well how that had happened- "but you've been severely misinformed."

"Oh, have we? Why the strong reactions to each other's pain, then?" Lucius asked with a raised brow. "That has to indicate something, hasn't it?"

"Only that you're an idiot who doesn't have any real friends." Remus mumbled under his breath, causing the other two to snicker once more. Harry got another bashing for that and the other Death Eater who'd spoken before smacked Remus across the face for his comment. In anger, the raven-haired boy spat the blood flowing into his mouth from his now bleeding cheek on Lucius' shiny designer shoes with a smirk.

"You're going to regret that, boy." The platinum blond said with a twisted look on his face, disgust in his eyes. As he readied his cane for the blow that would most likely knock Harry out after so many hits to the head, he was halted.

"Oh, I severely doubt that." Lupin said casually as he walked toward them, a sizable group of Order members following behind him with their wands out. The three Order members tied up wondered how they'd all arrived without making a sound. Lucius glanced toward the new arrivals.

"Oh, it's the half-breed to the rescue, is it?" Both Lupin and Remus snarled at that comment. "You seem to be incapable of basic math, so let me inform you- you have your small herd of cows, I have twenty Death Eaters. This is suicide."

"Indeed it is, we'll make sure to spit on your grave you great buffoon!" The voices of Fred and George Weasley piped up from within the group.

"Did you just call me a buffoon? How dare you? No one calls a Malfoy a buffoon!"

Lupin smirked and called the charge. Spells went flying between the Order and the Death Eaters, in the midst of it the three companions watched avidly as their side slowly took over the battle and pushed the enemy back. As one Death Eater in particular ran past them Harry was able to recognize the features of Severus Snape, likely the one who'd informed the Order of the surprise attack as they hadn't actually had a set time to return as Sirius had claimed. A small flick of the wrist and a non-verbal set the three lose. Their wands were tossed to them discreetly by the Potions teacher.

It took little over thirty minutes for the Order to completely overwhelm the Death Eaters, Sirius and Harry spending the majority of that time guarding the wounded Remus. When the last Death Eater apparated away from the battle field, the Order members surrounded the three bruised and battered males. Harry and Sirius supported Remus' weight with an arm over either shoulder. Lupin came up to them with a small frown.

"Are you alright?" He asked Remus in concern and the teen nodded.

"We need to get him back to Headquarters." Harry told him, shaking his head a bit to stave off the dizziness plaguing him from the numerous hits Lucius had dealt to his head. Lupin's frown deepened.

"You need medical attention yourself, Harry. Let me help Sirius get Remus home, you take it easy for the trip. Fred! George! Come escort Harry." Lupin commanded.

The two Weasleys stepped from the group and pulled Harry away from his still-bleeding friend, keeping vigil at his side as they waited to start the journey to the apparition point. Meanwhile, Lupin took Remus' free side and slowly began to help the teenager toward their destination. The rest of the Order followed at the same pace, apparently deciding that the old phrase 'strength in numbers' was definitely applicable to this situation.

* * *

Harry, Remus and Sirius were seated in the kitchen at the Order Headquarters having their wounds tended to by Tonks and a few other members who knew first aid. Remus' wound was by far the worst, but thankfully he didn't have anything critical.

"A few blood replenishing potions and you'll be fine, dear." An older woman said with a small pat on his good knee as she closed the wound. Harry's injuries were more bruise and scratch-like than anything, so he was simply given a band-aid for his cheek wound and a pain-killing potion for the rest. Sirius, of course, was given a glass of water and the wizarding equivalent of aspirin in the form of a potion.

"What nerve they have, attacking Harry at that particular time! How dare they?!" Molly Weasley was ranting, pacing the floor angrily.

"Mrs. Weasley, we're fine." Harry tried to calm her, which not surprisingly didn't work.

"Death Eaters don't have morals, you know." Sirius said- instead of calming her, however, he further angered her.

"How can they not have a conscience? They're human beings- they have to know that what they are doing is despicable!"

"The fact that they're human is entirely debatable." Lupin muttered from his seat beside Harry. The woman huffed at his words but wisely chose not to comment further. After Remus was healed the healer who'd tended Harry spoke softly, as if not wanting to point Molly's attention in her own direction.

"Harry, you're going to be very dizzy and tired from that potion. Best get to bed immediately and sleep it all off, alright?" A nod and the three members left the room with polite goodbyes.

Harry told Remus to go ahead of him to their room, wanting to have some tea before going to bed himself. With a nod that he understood and a small smile in the direction of his friend Remus left the room with Sirius following behind him. Harry and Lupin sat in silence at the table as they both sipped from their respective tea cups, each thinking scattered thoughts but nothing in particular. When Harry finally finished his drink he stood to leave the room with a small 'goodnight' to Lupin though it was still afternoon. A single step forward made the teen dizzy and threw him off balance.

Lupin was there in a second to catch and steady the teen, arm wrapped around the boy's shoulders. "You alright, there?"

"I'm really dizzy." Harry grumbled as he closed his eyes to try and get rid of the feeling, only to have it magnify and nearly make him fall again if it weren't for Lupin's hands holding him upright.

"Here." Lupin said kindly and leaned over, picking Harry up gently with one arm under his back and the other under his knees. Harry's arms wrapped around the man's neck and they walked slowly to the teen's room.

Harry let his head drop against Lupin's shoulder, eyes closed. He was almost dozing when his eyes flew open just as they reached his bedroom door-

It was Lupin in my dream!

He kept his thoughts to himself, did his best to hide his surprise at the revelation. The two entered his and Remus' room, spotting Remus asleep on his own bed. The light-brown haired man laid Harry on his bed softly, murmured a quiet goodnight after covering the boy up and left the room. The boy rolled over onto his side and stared at his friend- one of his best friends.

He remembered how pissed he'd gotten when they'd injured the amber-eyed boy, scared when they'd proclaimed their intention to kidnap Remus, how happy when help had arrived to save the wolf. All of those feelings ran through his head again and again, the image of the amber-eyed teen sleeping peacefully on his chest yesterday morning (which Remus had explained that apparently Harry had a nightmare)- the incident at Malkin's and how close their faces had been- Remus' constant care and consideration for him. It all accumulated in the emerald-eyed boy and he felt his chest swell with a warmth that was familiar.

Harry had a crush on Remus. The boy groaned- now what? After all this idiotic 'Remus and Harry are/are not together' crap, how was he supposed to deal with actually liking the teenager? It was just one fuck up after the next in his life, Harry thought with a grim expression. This could not end well.

* * *

At midnight a figure entered the boys' room and went straight to Remus' school trunk, popped open the latch. The person searched quietly for a few moments before finally pulling out what they were looking for- a medium-size black notebook.

After putting everything back where it belonged and closing the trunk, the individual went to the door to leave, paused and glanced back at the sleeping Remus.

"Sorry Moony- the future's not meant to be changed." And with a sharp pain in his heart, Sirius Black left to destroy the only artifact that could screw up their time- Remus' notebook in which he'd recorded every detail of the future.

 

 


	11. The Pros and Cons

 

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

"Erm, so you're saying that bat eyes would cause a sleeping potion to explode with the force of something called a nuclear bomb, which is apparently a muggle invention created to blow towns off the face of the Earth in times of war. Is that right?" Sirius recalled slowly, blinking at his tutor. Yeah, the world was gonna end soon, Padfoot had sought academic help for a potions exam. Lily scowled and whacked the black-haired boy upside his head. "OUCH!"

"No, for the love of Merlin I said that adding the bladder of a fire crab would have those results on a sleeping potion. Pay attention or I won't waste my time! And James, stop making those faces at me. I can see them, you know." James pasted an innocent expression on his face and pretended to be going through the large tome in front of him. Lily rolled her eyes and wondered, for the tenth time, why she'd agreed to help them in the first place. The fact that she'd noticed the absence of Remus in the past few weeks had led her to question his whereabouts, and in return for telling her what was going on the two boys had sought her help with the exam looming over them. She pitied the missing teen if he was the one they went to for every test. Trying to cram information into the heads of those two was like trying to teach a rock to do the tango. Still, with a bit of magic and a proper spell a rock could, in fact dance. Using this logic Lily was attempting to stay optimistic about the chances of helping the two marauders. Her mood was growing darker by the minute.

"Oh whoops." Sirius muttered sheepishly and scratched a line out, then wrote something beside it on his notes.

A few moments went by, everything going fine until James returned to the love-struck glances that he'd been sending Lily before. Sirius asked another stupid question. Lily growled and slammed her potions book on the table. The librarian scowled at them all. Opening her mouth to say something quite scathing to the two morons, she was halted by the arrival of a Ravenclaw whom she studied with sometimes. Giving the two males a glare, she excused herself to speak with her friend.

"Thought she was never gonna leave. Dunno what you see in her, Prongsie. That chick is a serious ball buster." Sirius groaned, rubbing his eyes in a melodramatic manner. James was only half listening, too distracted with staring at Evans's backside. "Earth to James?"

"OUCH!" James cried a few minutes later, rubbing his aching nose. He glared at one of his best friends, who was cackling across the table. "Why the bloody hell did you throw that book at me?!"

"It was the only way to break the curse." Sirius informed his companion after his amusement died down. James appeared confused for a moment.

"Curse?" He questioned, expression quixotic.

"Yeah, curse." Sirius said, expression grim. "The curse that acts up every time you're around Evans."

"I must say I have no idea what you're babbling about." James tried, eyes shifty as he attempted innocence. Sirius snorted, crossed his arms in a cocky manner and made a kissy-face.

"Oh Evans, take me I'm yours!" He mocked. James flushed and did what anyone would do in his situation- he returned fire. "FUCK"

Padfoot was on the floor, having been knocked out of his chair by the force of the book James had thrown. Of course, it helped that the tome was at least three times the size of Sirius's meager potions textbook. With a battle cry, Sirius lunged for the nearest bookshelf and pulled out a copy of The Goblin War, which was over five thousand pages, hardback. James threw up his hands in surrender.

"Now, now Padfoot, let's not act rashly…" He said slowly, eyes trained on the other's weapon of choice.

Sirius paused, looking to think it over before he smirked. James, having spent years with the teen knew that smirk from a mile off. Quickly the shorter-haired boy dove under the table just as the monstrosity flew past where his head would've been. A loud thump followed and a groan of pain let the two know that the book had indeed found a target after missing the intended. Both boys turned to see who the victim was, after James climbed out from beneath his hiding spot. They came face to face with a very annoyed, very ticked off Lucius Malfoy.

SCORE! Sirius thought, gleeful. This was even better than giving his best friend a concussion!

* * *

Present Time

* * *

It was the day before the four teens were due back at Hogwarts, and they had never been so happy to go back to school. Grimauld was such a boring place to be, the only things there to do were clean, play chess or exploding snap, and talk. These things got old after a while. Harry, Ron and Remus were currently sitting in the library playing exploding snap while Hermione was busying herself with studying everything she thought might be on the end of term exams that were looming ever closer. Ron, for perhaps the millionth time, rolled his eyes as the girl dropped a book onto her table with a soft thunk sound. Harry kept his eyes on the game but shook his head at Hermione's antics all the same- he would never be able to figure out that girl's need to excel. Honestly the green-eyed boy didn't think there was a lazy bone in Hermione's entire body.

Remus ignored the entire scene. During the past few days the teen had been more silent, contemplative. He was trying his best to figure out what his feelings toward a certain Gryffindor Boy-Who-Lived were, as they'd been screwy ever since the attack on the day of the funeral. Sure, he'd always felt this deep need to protect the raven-haired teen, but he was positive that the feeling hadn't been accompanied by wanting to snog the boy senseless whenever he looked at Remus in a certain way. This was very problematic, you see, for he had only recently began toying with the thought of being gay. To have a crush on one of his male friends so suddenly was very hard for his mind to process, having not reached a conclusion as yet on his actual sexual preference. That's not to even mention the eventual returning home and how hard it would be on the both of them if these feelings were to ever be explored.

The brown-eyed teenager did not need this type of complication! He was supposed to be supportive and friendly with Harry, then leave and not look back! What the hell was he doing going and getting attached to him? If it were possible to give one's self a kick in the arse, Remus would damn sure be doing it at the present point in time. He just could not fathom how something like this could have happened- He had a crush on his best friend's son for Merlin's sake!

What was he to do now? He knew that no matter what, he had to go back. It wasn't an option to stay and explore a relationship with Harry, nor was it a wonderful idea to get involved with a boy who would one day be his student with an age gap of twenty-some-odd years. Not to mention what James and Lily would say if they knew, those two would probably castrate Remus for starters. How audacious of him to want to date their son! He could hear Lily's rant as if she were giving it now.

Just as Remus was on the very edge of a mental breakdown, Ron's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Y'know what would be effing sweet?" The boy asked, throwing his hands up in surrender. They were all pretty bored to death of exploding snap by now. There was only so much fun to be had out of blowing someone up.

"If you three would pull your heads out of your arses and study? Exams are only two months away, you know." Hermione's voice came from behind a tower of books that looked as if they would fall at any moment. Ron scowled.

"No. Revenge on the twins." He countered. Harry and Remus could just imagine the glare Hermione was aiming at Ron from behind those books. "They've played five pranks on us since they started staying here for the holidays. What have we done? Nothing! That's what we've done! I say we give them a taste of their own medicine before we're due back tomorrow."

Remus frowned- The twins were not to be trifled with. They were like... the Mafia. With only two members. And a bag of pranks that rivaled the Marauders. Scary. This was why Remus did not like twins.

Harry grinned. "That sounds awesome, but what could we do to them that they would get the message? They are the masters at pranks, after all. Messing with them doesn't seem like a good idea without a fool proof plan."

"Well…" Ron smirked and turned a hopeful, if a little mischievious, stare on Remus. The wolf's frown deepened, he did not like that look. "We do have a prankster of our own, remember?"

A huff from behind the books was the only thing that told the boys that Hermione would not be taking a part in this ridiculous scheme.

"Aw, come on 'Mione! Don't you want to get them back for charming all of the books in the Library to try to eat you? You missed two days worth of studying due to that!"

Ron knew exactly what buttons to push to reel her in- with a disapproving tone the female agreed.

"Well, I'm definitely in." Harry said excitedly. The books shifted, miraculously not falling, and Hermione, Ron and Harry all looked expectantly at Remus. The female's expression was something akin to 'If I've got to do it, so do you!' With a groan of long-suffering, Moony the Marauder took charge. If there was to be a prank planned, he was damn sure going to make it perfect and live up to his title!

* * *

Dinner was a loud and boisterous affair that evening. Mrs. Weasley had made a feast to see the teenagers off, explaining that Hogwarts didn't feel them nearly as well as they should. Fred and George were cracking jokes left and right, causing most of the table's occupants to fight for every breath between laughter. Sirius and Lupin were joining in the fun, occasionally telling stories of some of the pranking that went on in their school days. Remus grinned at a couple he remembered, and took note of the ones he didn't. The end of year prank to come was of particular interest to the young werewolf.

As dinner began to come to a close, something shocking happened. The twins stood from their seats and tapped their goblets, announcing that they had something very important to share with the people seated at the table. Ron bit his lip to keep his smirk at bay, Hermione dipped her head in shame, Remus had the famous Marauder Mask (trade mark) in place, and Harry hid his grin by pretending to sip from his pumpkin juice.

"If I may go first," George asked his twin, who nodded in agreement. "I would like to announce my intentions to marry Bertha Hornswallow. She is the most gorgeous ball of unpleasant pudge I've ever laid eyes on."

The volume at the table was suddenly muted, every eye turned to the redhead as he stared at a certain member of the Order in a flirtatious manner. Bertha looked completely stunned at this turn of events, her normal sneer lost. Molly Weasley looked as if she was going to faint. Ron's lip was almost bleeding from trying to keep a straight face.

"Congratulations dear brother, I believe it's my turn." Fred intoned in a bit of a mechanical voice, as if he were on remote control. His eyes looked star-struck as he turned his attention to the headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore had cut his vacation short in order to plan for the safety of his students after the attack on Remus, Harry and Sirius. The headmaster looked utterly amused at the goings-on, while a soft thump indicated that indeed, Mrs. Weasley had fainted. "I love you, Albus Dumbledore. Won't you agree to marry me and be my snookums for eternity?"

Lupin and Sirius were rolling in their seats, laughing loudly at the events. Ron was snickering, Harry snorted and chuckled, Hermione couldn't hold back a few giggles, and Remus appeared perfectly composed, ignoring the guilty smirk on his face. The funniest part was yet to come, however, as they'd fed Bertha the same love potion given to the twins with only a slight modification. While Fred and George's potions would wear off within a few minutes of their announcements, Bertha's would last for three days. The overly plump woman rose to her feet and squealed, not unlike a pig, before launching herself at a potion-released George who looked completely terrified.

"Of course I'll marry you my darling!" She squealed as she collided with the poor red-head, toppling both of them to the floor. Remus winced as he thought of the headache that George was to suffer when the woman finally released him. Bertha quickly got to her feet and clung to the redhead's arm, dragging him upright and out of the door to the kitchen. A small slam of wood indicated that the witch had dragged the twin out of the house all together. In the back of his mind, Harry pitied the troublemaker, only imagining the torture he'd endure at the hands of a love-struck nut ball like Bertha.

Fred stood at his place silent, a confused look on his features as he tried to process what had just happened. As a look of understanding began to cross his features, a soft pop was heard and the redhead was gone. The members at the table glanced around in confusion, some thinking the twin had apparated to rescue his brother. This thought was quickly thrown out the window, however, with the realization that it was impossible to apparate in or out of the headquarters of the Order.

The chair that the Weasley twin had been standing beside scraped against the floor, startling the dumbfounded people. No one had been near the furniture to make it move like that. A grunt was heard before a very ugly grayish head appeared over the top of the table. Everyone at the table blinked in unison, except the four who were behind this. Staring back at them all was a very, very pissed off looking female gnome. With a tuft of red hair on the very crown of her head.

This was all that was needed to cause a complete lack of composure. Fred Weasley had been turned into a female gnome. The table was roaring with laughter while the Weasley-Gnome pouted crossly, fists clenched. This only cause the table to go into even more hysterics.

"I vow to have the head of whoever did this!" The croaky voice of Weasley-Gnome cried, before s/he left with only a death glare towards the occupants of the table as goodbye.

Smug grins were passed between the four responsible parties.

* * *

Harry and Remus were in their room, packing the things that they would take back with them to Hogwarts in the morning. As Remus gathered his things and began to organize his trunk, a sudden realization halted him- His journal was gone. Confused and frantic, the teen began to hastily empty the contents of his trunk, dumping everything on the floor as he searched for the missing item. Harry had long since stopped his packing in order to watch as his friend virtually attacked the luggage. Confused, he decided to offer his help in whatever his friend was doing.

"Uhm, Remus? Need any help there?"

Having been in a one-track state of mind and completely forgetting that Harry was in the room with him, the sudden sound of the other's voice startled the werewolf. Rubbing his head from where he'd bumped it against the lid of his trunk, he turned panicked amber eyes on his friend.

As he'd checked every possible hiding place in the room for the journal thus far, his mind was in overdrive trying to figure out who might've taken it. His first thought led him to think Harry might have done it, since the boy did share a room with him and had easy access. That thought was quickly banished, however, since there was no reason for the green-eyed boy to go digging through Remus' things to steal a journal, especially since the teen didn't even know that Remus was his Professor Lupin. No, there would be no reason to suspect Harry.

His thoughts then went to Hermione, who did in fact know that Remus was the Defense professor in this time. While this was something that made suspecting her natural, the werewolf knocked her off the list as well since the girl didn't believe Remus to have anything like a journal detailing all the catastrophes to befall himself and his friends. There would, therefore, be no reason for the female to go through his things either, since she already knew all of his secrets.

The only person that left was Sirius, who knew that the teen was Remus Lupin and that he'd been keeping record of the events to come, had even cautioned him against doing such a thing. As much as it pained the teen to think of his best friend doing something so underhanded as to steal their means of changing the wrongs, the amber-eyed boy knew that Sirius had the means and knowledge to steal the journal. Mouth now set in a thin line, Remus shook his head at Harry's aforementioned offer to help. He knew exactly what he had to do now, and it was confront his long time friend.

"I'll be back in a bit, there was something I needed to speak with Sirius about." Remus told Harry in an emotionless tone before exiting the room to find Ol' Padfoot.

As the teen figured, Sirius was in the study with his older counterpart. Remus, not thinking clearly due to his rage at his friend, burst into the room. The door hit the wall with enough force to splinter wood, and both men inside snapped their gazes on the obviously irate teenager. Sirius, knowing the blazing glare on his young friend's face meant that the latter had found out what he'd done, stood from his seat by the fire and slowly rose his hands in front of his chest. He knew you did notanger an already pissed off werewolf unless you had a death wish, no matter the circumstances. Lupin looked highly confused at the events, standing as well only because he could feel the rippling undercurrent of danger in the room's atmosphere. His delicate canine senses picked up a scent that was disconcertingly familiar to him but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why.

"How dare you, Sirius Black!" Remus thundered, taking a couple of measured steps toward the source of his bad mood. Padfoot laughed nervously as he too moved, taking a step back for every approaching step the werewolf made. "What right did you have?!"

"Now listen, Remus, I had to do it. You don't know what could've happened if you'd gone through with your plans!" Sirius responded, trying to make the teenager see reason. Lupin rose a brow, oblivious to what the two were talking about. He found it amusing that Sirius was using the same tone reserved for when Lupin himself was in a furious rage.

"And you don't know if things would've turned out for the better had I done it! We could've very well gotten something much better than this lousy outcome!" Remus retorted as he began to pace the length of the room, hands clenching and unclenching in his fury. "How you can stand there and be perfectly find with the way things are is beyond me, they were our best friends Sirius. Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

Lupin was beginning to get a headache, and an odd feeling of Déjà vu was overtaking his senses. There was something strikingly familiar about the scene playing out before him, almost as if he'd heard all of this before. But it went further than that… it almost as if he'd been one of the two having the argument. He felt severely dizzy as the scene played out before him, and needed to reach out and physically grab the high back of the chair he'd been seated in before to keep himself standing.

"Of course that means something, for the love of Merlin you think I don't care that they're gone? I mourn their deaths every fucking day of my life! Don't you dare stand there and presume to tell me I don't care about my friends!" Sirius' voice suddenly took on an icy edge. Lupin was beginning to think that they were talking about James and Lily, but that was ridiculous- the young teenager would not have even been alive before their deaths and so he couldn't know them. Thinking hurt, the headache had turned into a full blown migraine by now and Lupin wanted nothing more than a pain potion and a bed to bury himself in and forget about all the mysteries surrounding the young Remus Holmes. His vision began to swim around in front of him.

"If you care so much then why-" Remus was cut off by a suddenly deflated Sirius, who looked every bit his age at that moment. The older man slumped back into his seat and sighed in a way that made the teen feel instantly ashamed that he'd accused his last living friend of such horrible things.

"Because, no matter how much we may wish to change the future for our own happiness, the worst possible thing that someone can do with magic is tamper with time. For all you know the outcome could be even worse- Voldemort could be firmly in power and Harry dead along with his parents. There are just some things you have to bite your tongue and accept. At least we have Harry and he's alive and well, and that's enough for me. I like to think it's enough for Lily and James as well, they died protecting their son- there's no greater satisfaction than knowing that even though you're gone, your loved one will live on."

Remus took in those words, running them through his head as he contemplated the pros and cons of changing time to fit his own wants and needs. He knew what his friend said was completely logical, if not totally correct. It was a horrible thing that happened to James and Lily Potter, truly and unforgivably horrible, but there was nothing to be done about it. The past had to stay the same, and as Remus would have never even known about these events had he not been transported forward in time, the wolf knew that he himself was a part of the past- when he went back he was no longer to be privy to this information, only a character involved in reenacting what the script said as dictated by the fates. With a sigh of acceptance, Remus offered a small smile to his best friend that the other returned half-heartedly.

The teen felt especially horrid for bringing up all of these things to his friend, who obviously wasn't over the deaths of their friends even though seventeen years had passed since that time. How stupid of Remus to imply that Sirius didn't care about James and Lily- The man had been bloody in love with the former for six and a half years, and good friends with Lily even though he was jealous as hell of the attention James showered on the female.

"I'm sorry Pads, I didn't mean those things. It's just.. really hard to come to terms with this." Remus said softly, moving to his friend and giving him a hug.

"Tell me about it." Sirius said with a humorless laugh. A few moments passed before the two realized they'd just had it out right in front of the teen's older self. Nervously, they cast around the room looking for what they imagined would be a stunned Lupin since the man was obviously bright enough to piece this puzzle together with the clues presented to him during the argument.

To their alarm they caught sight of Lupin laying unconscious on the floor.

 

 


	12. Hufflepuff's Finest

Lupin woke the next morning in a very disagreeable mood; his head felt like someone was splitting it in half with an ax, slowly. He thought to open his eyes and check the time but soon found he regretted this decision when the sunlight that streamed through the curtained windows of his room nearly blinded him. With a groan he ran a hand tiredly through his hair, struggling to remember what had been the cause of his sudden foul health. If he didn't know himself better he'd think that he had gotten drunk the night before, as the general sickly feeling was very akin to a hangover of the rough variety. Still, for the life of him he couldn't figure out just what exactly had happened to him to place him in such distress. When a knock sounded on the door to his room Lupin dragged the hand that had been threading through his golden brown hair over his face with a sigh.

"Yes? Come in." He said to the closed door, waiting as it opened to reveal his long-time best friend.

Sirius seemed a bit edgy this morning, his coloring a bit on the gray side as he walked into the room with a pathetic excuse for a grin on his face. If it weren't for his eyebrows being drawn so tightly together and the rather exaggerated manner in which he tried to smile at the wolf, one wouldn't realize anything was wrong in the first place. Lupin, however, had known this man since he was eleven years old and could tell right off when he was putting on a show. He said nothing as the raven-haired man made his way to Lupin's bedside, trying and failing to pull off a casual air.

''Ello Moony, how are you doing on this fine morning?" Sirius asked as he plopped down on the bed beside the werewolf, who winced at the jolt of pain the motion of the bed moving abruptly sent to his aching head.

"Bloody fantastic, never felt better in my entire life." Lupin ground out, eyes narrowed at his friend. He was in no mood to play games with Sirius and would much prefer they skip the dodgy chit-chat and get to the actual reason for Sirius' visit so early in the morning.

"Sweet Merlin I do believe I'm about to have a fainting spell, was that sarcasm my dear friend?" Sirius asked, dramatically throwing a hand to his brow as if he were about to do just as he'd said. Lupin huffed and shoved him abruptly off the bed. "Ouch! Geez, what's crawled up your arse and had an extended stay Sweetness?"

"My head is killing me and I'm hardly in the mood for your half-wit antics, so if you'd please just cut to the chase already and let me get a few dozen pain potions and another hour or so of sleep I'd greatly appreciate it." The wolf bit out acidly as he glared at his best friend. It was really to be expected though, Lupin was most definitely not a morning person by nature. It generally took a couple gallons of coffee before he could manage pleasant, and that was on morning when he didn't wake up feeling like the Loch Ness monster had used him as her personal punching bag.

Sirius had the decency to look somewhat abashed for beating around the bush. Blunt was usually his middle name, but this morning he honestly just didn't know how to broach the subject that had him visiting his friend at six in the morning. You couldn't just walk up to someone and ask if they remembered the argument that took place the night before between yourself and their much younger self, that was just insane. A frown tugged at his lips as he paused to ponder the best way to begin the conversation- he needed to know if Lupin remembered anything that had happened last night, especially whether or not he retained any information pertaining to a certain amber-eyed boy from the past. The two of them had indeed been careless in their arguing, forgetting that Lupin was even present until the end of it. Sirius was positive he and Remus had let slip various large hints at who the teen was, and the raven-haired man was also fairly certain that Lupin knowing was a bad thing. Which would probably be made even worse by the fact that the teenager hadn't returned to his time yet. Paradoxes and wormholes and all those fun things.

The darker haired man took note of the fact that his friend was positively glowering at him as he took his time thinking things through. That the werewolf was even more grouchy than normal at such an hour made Sirius nervous, was the man upset because he knew his past self was here and Sirius hadn't bothered informing him? Merlin knew Padfoot would be downright livid if he were to be put in that position, so it was fairly likely. Still, the look on Lupin's face didn't seem like a 'How dare you hide things from me, I'm going to take a bite out of your arse!' expression, so Sirius hoped for the best and decided to drop bait to see if the wolf knew anything. The last thing he needed was to open his big mouth and ruin things if his friend was, by Merlin's grace, oblivious to the occurrence of the previous night.

"Do you remember anything that happened last night?" Oh, now his blunt nature had to rear its ugly head eh? When Sirius finally stopped mentally beating his brain with Molly's cast iron frying pan, he noticed that Lupin had lost his irritated look, taking on a more glazed expression.

"Last... night...?" He repeated slowly, as if he were a child learning the words for the first time. The werewolf focused on the wall behind Sirius' head, trying to remember once more just what exactly had happened to him the previous night. He knew that Sirius and himself had been sitting in the study discussing the good ol' days, also known as the Marauding Era, when Remus had barged in looking mad enough to skin someone. He remembered the teenager saying something about a journal, accusing Sirius of something... this is where his memory began to get fuzzy and the pounding in his head increased. "I... can't..."

"You can't remember last night?" The sheer relief in the other man's voice was enough to spark suspicion in Lupin. He knew his friend was hiding something and if it had to do with the night before the wolf was damn sure going to figure it out, one way or another. Because Sirius Black keeping secrets was never good for anyone's health.

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

James and Sirius' ears were ringing from the tongue lashing they'd received by Lily when the girl returned to their table in the library. After knocking Lucius Malfoy in the head with the large tome, the uppity teenager had decided to give them a demonstration of his stupidity. Of course the pureblooded bastard had said it something along the lines of "How dare you? You're going to regret this, it's time to show you filth who's really in charge!"

He had seemed mortally offended by the five minute long giggle session the two Marauders had enjoyed at his expense. Honestly, a pureblooded Slytherin declaring that he'd beat the Marauders? What kind of crazy house did this guy escape from? After their laughter subsided the two gave the blond a few good natured gifts, boils and a multi-colored hair charm, before the evil that is Lily Evans arrived at precisely the wrong moment to take in their gorgeous handy work. A matching red hand print was displayed on each of the Marauders' cheeks and Evans seemed to have a permanent twitch in one eye now.

"You know what? I'm on to you!" The red-head said furiously, fists perched on her hips in a domineering manner. James and Sirius exchanged puzzled looks. They hadn't a prank set up for the near future and were at a loss as to what exactly Evans was on to. "Oh don't give me those innocent looks! The fact that Remus is missing has to be part of a grand end-of-year prank you four are planning. For having a friend missing you two don't seem as panicked as you should! That just further proves that there's a prank waiting to happen and I won't let you get away with it. Mark my words, you four are going down this year!"

Both James and Sirius' jaws were slack as they watched the girl turn in a huff and stalk out of the library. Slowly, the two turned to face each other, both ashamed of the accusation that they didn't care about Remus' disappearance. Of course they cared, they were in the middle of bringing the lost werewolf back! Sirius scowled, what the hell did Evans know anyway? She was nothing but a thorn in his side and had been since James started getting starry eyed all over her. The onyx-eyed Marauder could tell just by the look in his best friend's eyes that he was going to let that girl get away with accusing them of not caring about Remus, and that was unacceptable. James may have his head shoved so far up Evans' ass that he couldn't see when the female was being a prat, but Sirius didn't and he was going to show the girl that she couldn't mess with the Marauders and get away with it.

James was flabbergasted, he couldn't believe his love would accuse him of something so horrible. Of course James cared that Moony was gone, it was like losing a brother, you didn't just forget about something like that. The leader of the Marauders reluctantly admitted to himself that something needed to be done about Lily, she was undoubtedly going to cause problems for the two to bring Moony back if left to her own devices. One look at Sirius and James knew that the other was fully prepared to wreak his vengeance upon the girl, and sadly James wasn't going to do anything to stop him. He just hoped that what Padfoot had planned wasn't something horrible that Lily wouldn't forgive him for.

"We only have two and a half weeks before we can bring him back." James muttered aloud, pointedly looking away from his best friend so he wouldn't have to see the enraged look that was settled on the other's features. He heard Sirius shift, pull out a chair and sit heavily.

"Two and a half weeks..." Sirius mused to himself, thoughts of destroying Evans put on hold for the moment. No reason to give his secret intentions away to the man who was obsessed with the girl. "I just hope Moony will be alright for that long. The full moon is coming in a few days, I wonder how he's coping with them?"

"Moony's resourceful, you know he'll be alright. He can take care of himself." James responded with a confidence he didn't feel.

* * *

Present Time

* * *

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Remus were getting ready to depart from King's Cross and head back to Hogwarts for the last semester of their Seventh Year. Accompanying them to the train station were Lupin, Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Sirius had pitched a fit when he was told in no uncertain terms he wasn't to accompany the teens and see them off, but finally calmed down a bit when Molly threatened to starve him. Harry and Remus, who both knew Sirius well enough to know he gave in much too easily, had to stop themselves from glancing over their shoulders at every small sound, expecting a large black dog behind them. They were to be disappointed, however, as they made it onto the train without spotting any indication that Sirius was amongst them. Lupin, who was riding the train back to the school as one of the teachers assigned to guard duty, hurried the teenagers along the corridor to find a compartment. He knew that just because they hadn't run into trouble, be it the Sirius or Death Eater variety, didn't mean that trouble wasn't there.

Once the teens were safely deposited into their own compartment with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, Lupin departed for the usual meeting that took place every train ride. Thankfully he'd long since gotten rid of his awful headache and was much more cheery by now. He was still desperately trying to remember the evening previous to no avail, but consoled himself with the thought that with time the memories would surface, and then he'd be able to figure out what had Sirius so worried. The way Padfoot had acted that morning was very suspicious and the only conclusion Lupin had been able to come to was that something had occurred that his best friend didn't want him to know about. Well, Lupin would be damned if he let Sirius keep a secret from him. It was really only a matter of time before he figured it out, and then his friend would have some explaining to do, the werewolf was sure.

He was also fairly certain that the mystery centered around the young Remus. There were just too many questionable aspects about that boy to not be curious, especially his sudden arrival and his surprising relationship with Padfoot. Despite himself Lupin couldn't figure out what was so strange about that teenager, but he felt like the answer was right in front of his face, if only he could reach out and grasp it. Lupin decided right then and there that he would start keeping a particularly observant eye on the boy from here on. The answers to all of his questions had to lie with the teenager.

Remus was exceptionally quiet during the train ride back to Hogwarts, lost in his own thoughts. He ignored Ron and Harry's heated discussion about who would win the quidditch cup looming ever closer, disregarded Hermione's pointed and concerned glances in his direction, and tuned out Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom's debate on the proper way to fumigate gillyweed to protect against something called Bogworms. His mind was full to the brim with worries and questions, so much so that he couldn't just push them to the back of his mind to deal with later. His normal way of dealing with things that just wouldn't rest was to pick them apart in his mind until the solution made it's self known and the problem was gone, which is what he was now in the very process of trying to accomplish.

He worried over how, if and when he'd be returned to his own time. Were Sirius and James working on bringing him home even as he sat and mulled it over presently? Did time even work the same in the past as it did in the present, or future? Had Peter began dancing on the line that stood between good and evil yet? Had James finally landed a date with Lily, or was Sirius back to his sabotaging ways again? He missed his friends so greatly that at times it was hard to breathe, they were his family and it physically hurt to be removed from them after being together for so many years.

He felt guilty as his gaze wandered unconsciously in Harry's direction. Whenever he was around the teenager memories of his time in the past seemed to fly from his mind, leaving only the here and now and how much Harry's smile warmed his heart and made him feel invincible. With a frown he acknowledged, now that he was comparing past and present, that it really was unfair to compare James and Harry. They were each their own person, and though some of James' tendencies had been given to Harry, including the elder Potter's physical attributes, that was really where the resemblance ended. Harry was not James Potter.

Where James was full of finesse and self-assurance, Harry was adorably gawky and unsure of himself. Remus smiled as he remembered the day, just before Easter Holidays, that Harry had broke down telling the young werewolf of his life and how much danger he'd be in if he continued a friendship with the boy-who-lived. The onyx-haired teenager was too selfless for his own good sometimes.

Tearing his attention away from his friend, Remus turned his thoughts to one of the more troubling issues of the day. The argument between Sirius and himself the previous night. Sirius had assured him that Lupin couldn't recall anything that had happened last night, but Remus knew Sirius and he knew himself. Sure as the sun rises, Sirius went about questioning his older self in a way that let him know that Sirius had something he was hiding, and the younger werewolf knew that he did nottrust Padfoot keeping secrets. His older self would be suspicious and, even now, working to discover exactly what was going on inside his best friend's head in order to figure out the secret.

At least one thing could be said about his best friend, Sirius Black was a master at keeping secrets. Remus wasn't too worried that his older self would discover the truth before he was able to get back to his own time because of this. Still, he knew he'd need to be a bit more careful when he was around himself. It wouldn't due to let something slip when he was so close to leaving this infernal time.

He was interrupted from his musings by a chocolate frog that was shoved under his nose. His focus switched to the person extending the sweet treat in front of him and smiled questioningly when he found it was Harry offering him the confection.

"Just seemed to me like you needed it." Was the simple explanation. With a thanks Remus accepted the candy and Harry took a seat beside him. "What were you thinking about?"

"Just my old friends and how I miss them." The teen wolf said as he unwrapped the chocolate. He didn't want to lie to Harry so he told him half of the truth. Omission wasn't lying after all, right?

"Why don't you write to them? You might feel better after getting a few letters from them." The green-eyed teenager suggested helpfully.

"They're awfully busy and might not have a lot of time to owl me back, but you're right, it's worth a try." Remus agreed with a small smile. To Harry it would appear that he was glad for the idea, but in reality Remus' smile was a bittersweet one. They hadn't invented an owl that could travel through time, making it impossible to get a letter to his best friends.

"We'll be arriving soon," Hermione mentioned as she stood to pull her robes down from the shelf above her seat, "Best to get ready."

* * *

As the teens stepped off the train they ran into Dean and Seamus. The two boys seemed very excited about something or the other, rushing to speak and talking over each other so badly that no one could understand anything they were trying to say.

"Whoa, calm down guys." Harry said, waving his hands in a pointless attempt to stem the flow of words. "Breathe. Now try again slowly and one at a time."

"Did you hear about what happened to Malfoy?" Seamus asked excitedly, bouncing on the heels of his feet. Dean had a huge smile on his face and seemed as if he were trying to hold in a round of laughter.

"No, what happened?" Hermione asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. Ron leaned forward to better hear the response, as he was always eager to learn about misfortunes that befall that particular prat.

"He was placed into Hufflepuff!" Dead cried, and lost the battle with his hysteria. The teen leaned against his best friend and laughed so hard he had tears flowing from his eyes. Seamus, through short bursts of chuckles, finished the explanation.

"Dumbledore said that Malfoy needed to learn some humility and compassion for his fellows, so he bloody stuck the ferret in Hufflepuff!" At this Seamus lost his composure and joined his friend's laughing fit.

Wide-eyed, Hermione and Harry stared at each other in surprise. Ron was gaping like a fish and Remus was grinning at the cleverness of the idea.

"Let's move along children, the feast will be starting soon and we mustn't be late." McGonagall called over the noise of students. After Harry, Hermione and Ron had broken from their stupor the four teens made their way to the carriages, taking care not to step on Dean or Seamus who had both collapsed on the pavement.

Once they found a carriage and boarded, they turned to each other with grins.

"Yeah! Bloody bastard got what he deserved!" Ron exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.

"Hopefully Dumbledore's idea will work and Malfoy will be a better person from the experience." Hermione commented with the air of maturity her friends usually lacked.

"Who cares if the idea works? This is hilarious, just think of how humiliated Malfoy will be. And his dad! Think of the aneurysm that weasel gained from this." Ron replied with an evil spark in his eye.

"I personally can't wait to see Malfoy in his Hufflepuff finest sitting at their table at the feast. Wish I'd known earlier so I could bring a camera to capture the proud moment." Harry said with a chuckle.

"I'm just glad he's not getting away with that stunt he pulled before the holiday break. Remus contributed simply with a shake of his head. "He deserves to be taken off his high horse."

After ten minutes of discussing the funniest event of the year, the carriages arrived at the school and the teenagers clambered out one by one, making their way up the stairs and into the Great Hall. The first thing they looked for when they walked in was Malfoy. He was sitting with a scowl on his face, looking as if he'd ate a lemon, in golden yellow robes with the symbol of Hufflepuff proudly displayed on his breast.

The rest of the Hufflepuff house were keeping their distance from the evil teen, casting wary and some confused glances in his direction. His eye caught the quartet staring at him and he sent them all a particularly nasty hand gesture and a snarl. They all smiled sweetly and waved in unison, knowing that they were the reason he was placed in that house in the first place. They couldn't have been prouder of themselves.

 


	13. Every Time We Touch

_Remus' breath quickened, his heart beating a million miles a minute as he leaned in closer. He couldn't believe this was actually happening, finally. Eyes closing to mere slits, his tongue darted out to wet his lips nervously. The scent rolling around in the air was thick, a smell that Remus vaguely recognized as being cinnamon. His mind was buzzing and he couldn't seem to string together one coherent thought. All that his entire body and mind were focused on was the minuscule distance there was separating himself and what he desperately wanted, needed._

_A soft whimper escaped him as the distance began to grow shorter, and then disappeared completely. Silken. That's what the lips pressed to his own were like. A silky, smooth paradise he wanted to lose himself in. The green-eyed boy he was kissing wrapped his arms around Remus' back, fingers fisting in the fabric of his Gryffindor robes. Remus tilted his head, changing the angle of the kiss as his hand found its way to the back of the other teen's neck, drawing him closer._

_Remus wanted to stay like this, in this bliss forever. Unfortunately, the need to breathe overwhelmed both boys, and reluctantly they pulled away from each other. They were panting, amber eyes staring astonished into emerald orbs that were filled with fire. As reality started to set in again, Remus felt heat rise to his cheeks in a furious blush…_

* * *

Hours later

* * *

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Remus were all seated in the Great Hall eating lunch. Well, more accurately, Ron was pigging out while Hermione studied a book she thought was utterly essential to her passing her end of year exams. Harry was busy reading some type of new quidditch magazine, and Remus was so absorbed in watching the teen that he had completely forgotten about the food on his plate. The dream he had had this morning was so vivid, he could still feel the press of lips against his own…

Almost a month had passed since their visit to Grimauld place, and since then Remus had been keeping in contact with Sirius via the floo network late at night when everyone else was sleeping. As such, he'd been getting few nights of restful sleep. His older self seemed to still be oblivious to the argument that had taken place between Remus and Sirius on the last night of their visit, for which the amber-eyed boy was eternally grateful. He didn't know what he would do, nor what disastrous thing might occur, if Lupin remembered anything.

Tomorrow was the day that the final quidditch match would take place, and Remus wondered what would happen. He hoped that Gryffindor would win, because it seemed to mean so much to Harry that he get the Cup just like James did. Or will. Remus found that lately he seemed to care a lot about the raven-haired teen's feelings. As was typical for the werewolf, he was studiously examining his increasing emotions for his friend. Emotions that went far beyond the bounds of friendship.

He already knew that he had a crush on Harry, having had figured that out weeks ago. Since the discovery, he didn't seem able to keep his eyes from wandering to his friend often, and the looks were appraising. Harry really was astonishingly handsome, with his raven hair and emerald eyes. His skin was tanned from years of playing his favorite sport, and his body was toned from the effort it took to control a broom when doing extremely stellar stunts. The wolf's eyes roamed, settling on the other teen's lips. What he wouldn't do to just grab his friend and…

"Remus!" Ron shouted so loudly half the table turned to stare. Remus found himself blushing from head to toe as he quickly tore his eyes away from Harry, focusing on Ron. He tried to regain his composure as he took a slow, steadying breath.

"Yes Ron, what is it?" He was awfully proud that his voice only shook slightly. Hermione was casting him accusing glances from overtop her book, which he ignored. Honestly, it wasn't his fault that Harry was so damn gorgeous, you would have to be Snape not to notice. Remus had to fight back the unusual immature urge he had to stick his tongue out at the girl.

"I've been trying to talk to you for nearly ten minutes, what's going on with you? You were acting catatonic, just sitting there staring at…" Ron trailed off as his mouth formed a small 'o'. Remus grimaced and smacked a hand over his forehead. Way to be subtle, you bumbling fool. He thought, berating himself.

Harry, thankfully, seemed too engrossed in his magazine to be paying any attention to the three others. Hermione cleared her throat during the awkward silence, shooting Ron a look that clearly said 'Drop. It.' Ron wisely chose to heed her advice.

Coughing, he switched topics quickly. "I wanted to know if you knew any good pranks we could pull on Slytherin tonight at dinner? I thought it would be a good thing for our team, y'know? Raise the moral, give us something to make fun of the prats over."

Remus contemplated on this, his flushed features returning to normal. He pondered over all the possibilities, trying to settle on one that would blow the teenagers of this year away. Suddenly remembering a particularly fantastic prank that the Marauders had pulled a few years ago, Remus smirked. Ron perked up at the expression, looking hopeful.

"Oh, I've got a few pretty good ideas."

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

"Jamesie, I miss Moony!" Sirius whined for the umpteenth time today. James rolled his eyes at his friend, who was sprawled out on Remus' bed, curled around his pillow like a child hugging a teddy bear.

"Sirius," James began testily, "In less than two weeks we'll be bringing him back. Stop worrying so much, it won't do any good. We can't do anything for him right now, and we can't speed it up just 'cause you've got a bad case of separation anxiety and your grades are in the crapper."

In response, Padfoot merely pouted and stuck his tongue out at his friend. James responded in kind, going back over the parchment he'd been studiously writing on for the last hour. Sirius quirked a brow, coming out of his werewolf withdrawal enough to realize that something was not quite right. James plus paper plus an hour? Indeed, dastardly things were surely afoot. Perhaps Prongs was bespelled into doing his homework? Evans would certainly do something like that just to prove a point.

The more Padfoot thought about it, the further convinced he became that his friend needed saving. Rummaging around on the bed, he attempted to locate his wand. Confusion marred his features as he couldn't find the instrument where he thought he had placed it. After a moment of thought, he suddenly remembered that it was currently located down in his jeans. Victoriously, he reached into his pants and grabbed it, brandishing it with pride. Why, exactly, had his wand been down his pants? Well, that was a story for another time…

" _BLOODY SHITTING HELL!_ " James yelled as he was hit with a spell and thrown off his own bed, smashing into the wall. In the next instant, a stunner was thrown at him and his body went rigid. Sirius had at this point made his way over and was hovering above his friend, something that vaguely resembled twisted concern was on his face as he pointed the wand directly at James' chest.

"James, this is for your own good. I don't know what that evil succubus did to you, but fear not! I will rescue thee!" Sirius exclaimed with misguided heroics. James was very nervous at this turn of events. James did not like feeling nervous about any turn of events. He was supposed to be the one making other people feel nervous. He was in quite a pickle.

Luckily, for James at least, at the exact moment that a spell formed on Sirius' lips the door to their dorm burst open. An extremely furious, extremely murderous, extremely green Lily Evans thundered into the room. Wait, James thought, why is Lily's skin green? And are those… _scales_?

* * *

Present Era

* * *

Sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry was doing his best to pay attention to the lesson. This was his favorite class and he always looked forward to it, but today he just couldn't seem to get his mind to focus. He was studying Professor Lupin while he talked animatedly about something, taking in the man's features. Harry cataloged Lupin's sandy brown hair, amber eyes that reminded him a bit of Remus, and thin stature. The reason the teenager was studying his professor so intently? He had a bothersome feeling like he should know something, like there was something obvious right in front of his eyes he just couldn't quite seem to grasp. Closing his eyes in thought, Harry's mind focused on his favorite professor's voice. He didn't digest a word that was said, but instead just paid attention to the tones, the way Lupin put emphasis on certain letters and the soft way he spoke.

There was just something so familiar about all of it that it was driving Harry up the wall. What was it that he should know, should realize, but didn't? The answer eluded him, and he frowned in frustration. A soft poke to his ribs broke him from his musings and he opened his eyes to glare at the offender. Realizing that it had been Remus, his gaze softened and he rose an eyebrow in question. Remus, looking a bit apologetic, leaned closer to him so his words wouldn't disturb the other students or the professor himself.

"You okay there Harry? It seems as if maybe something's bothering you." He spoke in low tones. Harry froze, two things occurring to him simultaneously with the utterance of those two sentences.

"Wha… you're… I mean… holy shit!" He exclaimed, staring at Remus like he'd grown two heads and was declaring his love of Slytherin.

"What?" Remus asked, a very dreadful feeling creeping into his stomach. Harry just gaped at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

At this point in time the entire class had stopped what they were doing to stare, the emerald-eyed teen's exclamation having drawn attention. Professor Lupin was frowning at them in concern. Hermione was giving Remus an extremely nervous look. It took another three minutes before Harry was able to snap out of his stupor. He shoved his chair back roughly, it crashed to the floor behind him.

"Professor I need to be excused, now."

Lupin nodded in assent and the teenager raced from the room. After Harry's sudden abrupt departure from the class, Professor Lupin tried to continue on as if nothing had happened. Those who knew him well enough, however, could see the worry in his eyes and spotted him glancing at the door every now and then.

Remus, the teenager, was experiencing the same amount of worry. On top of that, he was highly confused as to why Harry had acted like he'd seen something that scared him senseless. He bit his lip, going over their brief conversation again, wondering if it had been anything he may have said.

It couldn't have been, he finally decided, since he'd only said the two things which were both completely innocent before Harry had lost it. Actually, the emerald-eyed teenager had been acting a bit off since this class had begun. Remus, who was not a raging moron, was able to connect the dots. Something about this class, his older self to be more precise, had bothered the other teen immensely. But what?

Class let out soon enough, and the three teenagers made their way from the room. Hermione, Ron and Remus were all three silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Students milled around, some poking fun at their friends, others rushing off to the dorms. Defense had been the last class of the day, and it would soon be time for dinner. Dumbledore had planned a large banquet on behalf of the final quidditch match, and Ron could already be caught at times drooling when he thought of the sheer amount of food that would be offered up to them on silver platters. Following this line of thought, something occurred to the red-head.

"I realize our good friend just recently lost a few marbles, but are we still on for that prank?" Ron asked in low tones so as not to be overheard by the other students wandering about. Hermione sent him a glare, clearly stating she didn't approve of how he had talked about Harry. "Well I'm worried about him too, but there's only half an hour until dinner and we need to polish our plans so excuse me."

"Ron, you would think if you were so worried about Harry the idea of pranks would be furthest from your mind right now." She huffed.

"No, because Harry would want us to prank the Slytherins and you know he is going to get a good kick out of it, so in a way I'm making plans to cheer my mate up." Ron rationalized with a grin and a nod. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Don't try to justify being selfish. You either are or you aren't, there is no gray area." She said, and with a flip of her hair she stalked off in the direction of the dorms.

* * *

Dinner was a grand affair. There was so much food even Ron didn't seem to know where to start. He and Remus had just entered the Great Hall and taken their usual seats, noticing that Harry and Hermione had not yet made an appearance.

It bothered Remus, who was so confused over the events that had taken place in Defense that he wasn't able to truly hold a conversation. He was much too busy musing over the possibilities of why Harry had suddenly freaked out. He was dancing around the most feared conclusion: That Harry had suddenly had an epiphany about Remus' identity.

There was just no way that could be, because there had been nothing to indicate to Harry who the teen wolf was. So, obviously there had to be another answer, Remus just hadn't thought of it yet. Ron was, by now, gorging himself on the feast laid out on the Gryffindor table. There was almost no room for plates, the amount of food taking up nearly every inch of available space on the table. Remus let his eyes wander around, taking in all of the students who were chatting amicably, eating their food with gusto, or studying (the Ravenclaws). The atmosphere here in the Great Hall seemed to be brimming with happiness and excitement over the big game tomorrow. With a small sigh, the teenager leaned his head against his fist. Tomorrow was a very important day, and he hoped that the game ended in the Gryffindor's favor. After all that Harry had been through, he deserved at least that much.

The Slytherins, Remus noted, could be heard boasting about their skills and belting out scathing remarks about the Gryffindors. Ron was casting glares across the room at them while he stuffed his face with something Remus figured to be roasted turkey. After swallowing the last bite that he had taken, the redhead turned and looked at him mischievously."Are we all set for Operation Mousy?" He asked in a low-pitched whisper.

"Yes, all of the preparations have been made. It's only a small matter of time now." Remus replied absent-mindedly, still too much a slave to his thoughts to really pay attention.

"Good. Let those ruddy bastards say what they will, they'll never know what hit them when we're through. This is going to be so awesome!" Ron exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. "I can't wait until the show starts, this is going to be one of the best pranks of the year, I hope Harry makes it in time to see."

"As do I." Remus responded dismissively. From the way Harry had acted in their last class, the teen seriously doubted that he would make an appearance at all. "It shouldn't be much longer now."

As if he had said the magic words to set things into motion, the action began. Every single person in the Great Hall turned toward the Slytherin table in unison when the first shouts of panic rose into the air. In fascination, the students watched as all of the Slytherins transformed into small, fat cats that were a disgusting shade of green. A stunned silence overtook the room as everyone tried to figure out what exactly was going on.

While the many ugly cats started wandering around the room, mewling like crazy, another cry of distress emitted from the Hufflepuff table. Again, everyone turned in nearly perfect synchronization to stare at the space that Draco Malfoy had once inhabited. They couldn't locate the boy anywhere, though his robes were strewn across the bench as if he had carelessly stripped and tossed them there.

At first everyone assumed that, since he was a born and raised Slytherin and had only been in Hufflepuff for the sake of discipline, he had been turned into a cat like the rest of his former house. However, that was not the case. Ron and Remus glanced at each other knowingly, and at the same time a rather surprisingly loud squeak came from somewhere near the doors. Looking in that direction, Remus spotted the ugly green rat standing on its hind legs as if it were a person. At once, the felines in the room were in motion, rapidly closing the distance between them and the rodent.

The rat let out a high-pitched squawk and turned, racing through the recently opened doors of the Great Hall. The students could hear the chase even after the animals had ran a good distance down the corridor. All of the teachers, at this time, seemed to gain back their senses and got out of their seats in haste, dashing out of the doors to try and get a handle on the situation. It was at this point that Remus realized why the doors had been conveniently open. Hermione stood just inside the Great Hall, staring in perplexity in the direction that the chaos had went.

* * *

That evening, Remus was sitting in the window seat inside his dorm room. All of the other boys were asleep, some snoring quietly. After getting over the shock of the prank from earlier that night, Hermione had joined the two boys for the rest of the meal. When Ron had inquired about Harry, she had informed them that Harry was shut up in their room, refusing to even talk to her. She had given Remus a very pointed look, as if to tell him something, but did not elaborate afterwards.

When dinner had concluded, the teenagers had made their way to the Gryffindor common room. Ron went to check on Harry, and promptly returned within minutes stating that the raven-haired teenager had told him to sod off. Hermione, once again, gave Remus a pointed look. Taking that as a sign that she wanted him to try, the werewolf stood with great reluctance and headed in the direction of the boys' dorms. It wasn't that he didn't care about Harry, or that he didn't want to comfort the other boy and figure out what all this mess was about. No, Remus' problem lay in the fact that he was afraid to find out what the source of the trouble was.

When he got to the door, he knocked softly. "Harry, it's me. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The muffled response came after several long seconds of silence. "I don't want to talk to anyone, please just give me some space."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, concerned. It was not like Harry to push away all of his friends when he was going through something. Usually he leaned heavily on them for support, no matter the issue.

"Yes." Was the clipped response, the tone indicating he was through with this conversation. Not one to give in quite that easily, Remus pressed.

"We are all just worried about you, Harry. What happened in Defense Against the Dark Arts earlier was really… well, confusing, to say the least and now you won't talk to any of us and you have skipped dinner. You're shut up in this room refusing to talk to anyone. We just want to help you, won't you let us?"

"Remus…" Harry's voice sounded closer to the door this time, clearer. He spoke softly, dragging out the other teen's name. Remus felt as if he was getting somewhere, some of the tension left his body as he waited for the door to open. It didn't. "Go away."

After that, he had left the boy alone. He didn't go up to the dorm until well after everyone else had gone to bed. When he had finally came inside the room, Harry was already asleep like the rest of them. That had been only a few hours ago.

Now he was watching the rain fall, hitting the glass now and then and leaving intricate patterns on the surface as gravity took effect and brought the droplets down. He wondered why it rained so often when people were sad, matching the mood to the weather. It was as if the Earth its self cried for all the people in pain, joining them in their sadness. The teen frowned and traced the pattern one droplet was making with the tip of his finger sliding down the chilled glass.

He was depressed, and he was well aware of it. This was the longest he had went without a smile from Harry since he met the boy. He didn't like this distance that the other teenager was putting between them, he missed him terribly and it had only been half a day. He was worried that this was going to continue and he didn't think he could take much more of the cold shoulder. What was wrong with that boy? Didn't he realize he was putting Remus through misery?

If he hadn't already known, now would be his moment of clarity, Remus mused. He was completely, totally head over heels in love with Harry Potter. And this put him in the direct path of getting hurt, because once he went back to his time he wouldn't see the teen again for many years, and even then he may not even remember the boy in this way. Hell, he would be much too old for the boy when they met again anyway. He was, to put it simply, screwed and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't stay here, that was just insane and would mess everything up.

He had finally come to terms with the fact that he couldn't change the events that had, would, take place. If he did it would change things in ways that the teenager couldn't even imagine, but he feared that the results would be nightmarish. And how was he to know that if he did in fact change something, it wouldn't change the one he loved?

He looked across the dark room at the figure sleeping on the bed next to his. The gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed evenly indicated that Harry was fast asleep. On a whim, Remus rose from his perch on the window bench and made his way over to the raven-haired teen's bed. He sat down on the very edge, gently enough to not cause him to wake, and just watched him sleep for a moment. He seemed troubled even in slumber, and that upset Remus. In sleep, at least, the boy should get some sort of solace from the hectic life that he lived.

Reaching out a cautious hand, he placed it on top of the other boy's that was resting at his side. As soon as his hand touched, Harry's fingers curled and grasped Remus' hand. Smiling softly at him, Remus gave a gentle squeeze of reassurance that he wasn't going anywhere. Harry's face lost some of the tension, a small contented smile made its way across his features.

It was amazing to Remus how a single touch from him could ease Harry's troubles- while he was asleep anyway. He wondered if there was any truth to what Ron had accused him of mere weeks ago- Did Harry like him? Love him? At least have a special place in his heart for him? God, Remus hoped so, because he was so unbelievably lost in the other boy. Feeling daring, the werewolf laid down next to the other teenager and put an arm around him. Harry just sighed and moved closer to him, as if seeking his warmth.

"I love you Harry," He whispered so low he was sure no one would hear him. "And if every time we touch you get comfort, or peace, even if it's just because I'm only a trusted friend to you, then I will always have my arms wide open.”

 

 


	14. Coming to Terms

Harry awoke unusually early, the misty blue light from the windows all that illuminated the room at this hour. He was not oblivious to the warm pressure against his side, nor did he have any doubts as to what was causing it. He studied the canopy above his bed, contemplating the things that weighed so heavily on his mind. He remembered Defense class yesterday, the familiarity in the way Professor Lupin carried himself and spoke, and the nagging feeling that he was missing some crucial detail. He recalled the deep voice in his dream over the holiday, telling him that they'd always be there, echoing the exact words of the newest person in his life. Remembered the realization that it had been Lupin who had uttered them in the dream, but not who had said them in reality.

It did not take Harry overly long, once the idea formed and he started really analyzing the details, to arrive at the conclusion. The startling discovery that made him feel stupid for not having caught on much, much earlier. It made complete sense to him now, though it left him mildly in a state of shock and he still couldn't puzzle out the why's of it. He was sure that by now Remus assumed that Harry was angry with him, since the raven-haired boy had shooed him away and not spoken with him at all that evening. He felt a pang of guilt over it, he truly wasn't mad at his friend. He was just confused, and he had needed time to puzzle over this new information. He had to adjust to the thought, and he couldn't face his friends until he had. The discovery it's self, while mind blowing, wasn't the biggest thing that was bothering Harry. No, the trouble lied in the fact that along with his discovery, he had to face down the feelings that came with it.

Finally tearing his attention away from the fabric above him, Harry let his gaze rest on Remus. The boy had climbed into his bed at some point that night, and was now curled along his side. His hand was resting in Harry's, which the green-eyed teen had not noticed until now, and the blond was sleeping soundly. Why had the other boy gotten in his bed that night? Maybe Harry had another nightmare, though he honestly could not remember it. Really not caring too much as to why his friend was there, he took advantage of the boy being asleep in order to study him. His hair was blond- that wasn't right. Harry reached over to his bed side table slowly, making an effort not to disturb the other boy, and grabbed hold of his wand. With a flick of his wrist and a whispered spell, the truth was finally revealed.

Dusty brown hair fell along Remus' face, his features changing minimally. Harry stared for a moment, knowing that if the other teen were awake and he could see his eyes they would perfectly match the amber-brown of someone else he knew very well. How could he have been so stupid? All of the signs had been there, but maybe the idea was just so outrageous it refused to cross his mind. The next question Harry asked internally was what had he gotten himself into? He knew his feelings for Remus ran deep, it wasn't something he would be able to just turn off, and now he understood the full weight of that. Any way he looked at this situation, all he saw was his eventual pain. Was any of this worth it?

He thought about how good Remus had been to him, how close they were and how much he had come to rely on the boy. He remembered all the times his friend had been there for him- hell, he'd even stomped Malfoy's ass over him. That wasn't something easily forgotten, either. This boy had been there for Harry in every way possible, and there was no way that the raven-haired boy was going to just throw that away lightly. There was no way he could. It was already too late for him, and nothing would change that.

With caution and a small amount of wonder, Harry reached out with his free hand and ran his fingers lightly through Remus' hair. The strands were soft and silky, and the feel of them made him smile. The hand holding his own tightened, and Harry froze for a moment. He was floored when he heard the boy beside him let out a soft moan and tilt his head toward Harry's fingers. Surely there was no way Remus cared for him in that manner? He would know if that were the case, wouldn't he?

Once the other boy stilled again, Harry contented himself to just watch him for a while, taking in how peaceful he seemed to be. He wished it were still that way, that nothing dark ever touched the young man beside him, but he knew with a heavy heart that life was cruel and it would not spare his friend.

It wasn't long before Remus began to stir, as Harry had expected. He'd always been an early riser. The raven-haired boy prepared himself as he watched the other teen slowly wake, and when he opened his eyes Harry felt like he couldn't properly breathe. They were exactly what he had expected them to be.

It would take Remus a moment to fully register the current situation he found himself in. He blinked slowly and smiled at the boy in front of him. He noted their already laced fingers, and their proximity, and decided he was still dreaming. He had experienced dreams like this a lot lately, and especially now he took solace in it. Even if Harry were mad at him in reality, and had no idea how he truly felt, at least Remus could be close to him this way. Intending to savor the dream for as long as possible, he wrapped the boy beside him in the arm he had free and held him close.

"Remus." Harry said gently, and the he turned his head and caught the boy's stare. "Good morning."

It occured to Remus then, as he caught the slightly amused expression on Harry's face, that this may not be a dream after all. Turning red and feeling mortified at his actions, Remus quickly made to remove himself from the other boy. Harry's amusement evolved into a full blown grin, and faster than Remus could blink the raven-haired teen had him pinned to the bed underneath him. This was an interesting development.

"How did you sleep?" Harry asked quietly, leaning close to the other boy. Remus swallowed roughly, enjoying this situation far more than he suspected his friend realized. He couldn't imagine the game Harry was playing at- perhaps he had heard his confession last night? Maybe he was interested in fighting over whatever it was that had pissed him off so much yesterday? Remus was at a loss.

"Well enough." The wolf replied cautiously, watching the other boy's face for any indication of his intentions. Harry smiled slightly, and just stared at him for a moment. Long enough to make Remus feel incredibly self-conscious. "Is it a fight you want? Might clue me in on what you're angry about first."

"What is it you want, Remus?" Harry countered, so close to him that Remus could smell the spicy cinnamon scent that he'd come to associate with the green-eyed boy. Eyes widening in shock at the suggestive tone, he wondered again briefly if this was a dream. Why would Harry be acting this way? He'd never indicated any interest in Remus like this before. His proximity was making it difficult for the wolf to think clearly, and he didn't answer the other boy's question. He gazed at Harry with mixed emotions, his mind fogging up from his scent. Harry stared right back at him for a long time, and seemingly finding what he was looking for, he leaned in further and took Remus' mouth with his own.

The kiss was slow and languid, exploratory. It seemed to Remus as if Harry might be holding back, waiting to see his reaction to the event. Well, if Harry was waiting for his approval, he'd damn sure give it to him. With a low growl, Remus grabbed the back of the other boy's neck and kissed him back with everything he had, delighting in the low moan the raven-haired boy emitted. His lips were as soft as Remus had imagined, and the taste of him was driving the wolf borderline insane. He had no idea where all of this was coming from, how his and Harry's relationship had become this, but he couldn't be bothered to care too much about it at the moment. His senses were filling up with the boy kissing him, and the rest of the world had slipped away.

The moment was shattered when a noise broke through the air, and the two parted quickly. Ron was the origin of the sound, having woken up and was in the process of getting out of bed for the day. Remus shot a look at Harry, and was a little stunned at the sight that met him. The emerald-eyed boy's hair was disheaveled, his lips slightly swollen and reddened, and he had apparently not bothered to stop staring at Remus since they had broken apart. The sight of it sent a shock through the wolf's system and made him want to jump right back on Harry.

Holding himself back with a small internal groan, Remus knew it wasn't going to be long before Ron realized that two of his friends were in bed together and looked like they had both been 'busy.' He nudged Harry's shoulder and that appeared to snap him out of his thoughts. Glancing at Ron, Harry quickly threw the curtains of his bed closed and flicked his wand at Remus. The wolf recognized the spell and a feeling of dread dawned on him, Harry had just applied Remus' glamour on him.

"I suppose we need to talk." Harry said quietly.

 _Oh._ Was all the startled Remus could manage to think.

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

James was annoyed. He had been sitting on his bed in the dormitory, listening to Lily and Sirius shout at each other for the last thirty minutes. He honestly couldn't understand why two of the people that meant the most to him in this world could not get along to save their lives.

It was always like this. Sirius was constantly doing things to Lily to piss her off, and Lily was constantly berating Sirius, in turn pissing him off and causing the stunts he pulled on the girl. James was about fed up with it all. If they would just learn to get along life would be a hell of a lot easier on them all.

It was during that line of thinking that James suddenly had an idea. It was crazy, devious, and he knew he would get murdered for it, but honestly he couldn't see any other way for this to stop. As the two teenagers before him stood, noses nearly touching as they screeched at each other with purple faces, James shot a spell aimed directly at both of them. This was ending, now.

* * *

Present Day

* * *

"Well... you know." Remus said, it wasn't a question. There was no doubt in his mind that somehow Harry had figured it out. The only reason he would need to be glamoured is if his previous one had been taken down.

"Yes, I do." Harry replied, watching the other boy's face. He was waiting to see what reaction he'd have, knowing that his secret was revealed. Remus just watched him right back with wariness, as if waiting for Harry to explode or run off. He honestly wasn't sure what direction this was going to take, or how the raven-haired boy was taking this information.

"It's why you ran off during class yesterday, isn't it?" Remus asked as the thought struck him. Of course, they had been in his older self's class and Harry had just suddenly freaked out at him and left. That had to have been when the other teen had realized that the two were the same. At Harry's nod of affirmation, the wolf bowed his head down. "Look, if you want me to keep my distance until I return home I will. I know this isn't fair to you, and I've tried to tell myself to back off so you don't get hurt when I go, but I wasn't able to keep away from you for all my efforts."

Harry didn't respond immediately, and Remus sat up fully. He thought about everything that had happened since he had arrived here, how close he and Harry had become, and he puzzled over the kiss. If the emerald-eyed boy had known who he was, then why had he kissed him? He had to know that there was no way any of this was going to end well for them.

"I'm not going to lie and say that all of this isn't really strange. It's hard to wrap my mind around it all, and even still I almost don't believe it. I have thought this through, and honestly I don't want us to stop being around each other. I know you're going to have to go eventually, and there's nothing I or you can do to stop it, but I also know that I care about you way too much to let any of this stop me from being around you. I've decided that even if we don't have long, I want to spend every minute I'm able to with you. You've been one of the best friends I've ever had, Remus." Harry said, reaching out and grasping the other boy's shoulder.

Remus felt himself grow warm inside, and smiled at his friend genuinely. When Harry smiled back at him he felt invincible. He loved this boy so much that it almost hurt sometimes. He thought again of the kiss they'd shared, and his brow furrowed. Harry had said that he was one of the best friends he'd ever had. Who kisses their friend like that?

"Harry," Remus began slowly, considering his words carefully. "You kissed me. You knew who I was, and you kissed me. Why?"

"Because I wanted to." Was the simple reply, and the boy crushed his mouth to his again.

* * *

Breakfast was almost over when Harry and Remus finally made their way into the Great Hall that morning. Remus appeared surprisingly well considering the full moon was in two days, Hermione thought. Ron was shoveling food in his mouth like it was the last meal he'd ever have, studying a copy of a quidditch magazine spread out before him.

When the two late teens sat down accross from him, he paused in his food inhalaing to nod in greeting.

"Harry, you slept in late didn't you? Have another moldywart nightmare?" Ron questioned low, knowing that this wasn't a topic that his friend liked others to overhear.

"No, just wasn't feeling like getting out of bed that early." Harry replied, putting food on his plate. He glanced at Remus and saw his face take on a very slight pink twinge. He found that amusing, and endearing. The two young men hadn't done anything graphic, just a very long and enjoyable snog. Afterwards, when they realized they wouldn't have breakfast at all if they didn't get their arses in gear, they had hurried to get ready for the day and get to the Great Hall.

At no point had either of them stopped to try and define their current relationship, and Harry found he was grateful for the lack of that conversation. He still wasn't entirely sure what to call how he felt about Remus. He knew that he cared very much for the other boy, and that most of that was not a platonic emotion. As he looked at him, he found himself itching to resume their earlier activities.

Harry really didn't give a horse's ass that Remus would grow up to be his teacher, nor did he give a damn that he found himself wanting to ravish his future professor. These feelings in him had grown long before he knew who the other boy actually was, and he found that having that knowledge now didn't matter to him. Remus was just Remus.

He did spare a moment to consider how awkward it might be when he went to Defense lessons later that day, now having made out with the future man who would teach the class. He wondered if, now that he knew who Remus was, he would feel any differently toward his professor and long time friend. As he contemplated this, his brain started hurting. It was difficult to think about both males, knowing they were the same person, but knowing them both in such different capacities.

He didn't realize that while he was mulling all of this over, he had yet to stop staring at Remus' face. The target of the stare had caught this, and was beginning to fidget under the pressure of the gaze. He looked up and caught Hermione glaring at him. Well, shit.

"Don't worry mate," Ron broke the tension, seemingly unaware of the awkwardness surrounding his friends. He also seemed to have completely misjudged the reason for Harry's pensive silence. "We've trained hard enough, we should have no trouble beating Slytherin out for the cup today. We're going in that trophy case!"

Harry, snapped out of his thoughts, realized he'd been staring at Remus. Turning his gaze smoothly from him to Ron, he grinned at the boy. "Damn right we are."

"I can't wait to see how pissed off they're going to be when we win." Ron said, rubbing his hands together and grinning like the devil.

Remus didn't bother joining the conversation, Hermione was still glaring at him. He tuned out the other two boys and dug at his eggs with his fork. Hermione most likely thought that he'd thrown her warning out the window about getting close to Harry. Little did she know the emerald-eyed teenager was fully aware of the situation now and seemed to not give a damn.

He thought about the morning's events and frowned. While he had very much enjoyed the kissing, he wondered just what it meant. He still didn't know for sure if Harry had overheard his confession last night, and besides telling Remus that he cared about him, he hadn't bothered to define in what manner. He wasn't a raging idiot, he could obviously conclude that the boy liked him enough to kiss him- but was it just passing fancy? Maybe Harry was using Remus for comfort, knowing that soon the teen would be going back to his time and the older version of himself wouldn't remember any of it.

It was kind of the perfect set up for a fling. He knew Harry cared about his friendship fiercly, but how much did he care about the other stuff? It was driving Remus up the wall thinking about it. He didn't want to be just something to take Harry's mind off the world, but then he also knew it was unfair to want the boy to care about him in the same way. Remus loved Harry, and he wasn't going to remember that he did once all of this was said and done. Harry, however, would remember all of it. There was no reason for his memory to be altered since he couldn't affect his future in any way with the knowledge he had.

Was it right to want Harry to love him in return, when he knew in the end it would only result in the boy's heartache? No, it wasn't. Remus decided he wasn't going to wish for it. He would love the boy silently and cherish the time together while he could. He wouldn't remember any of it anyway.

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

He could feel the daggers poking into his back, but he continued pretending like he was studying his text book. There were inhuman sounds coming from across the room, a growl among them.

He finally looked up and directed his gaze at the others. James grinned brightly at Lily and Sirius as they glared at him, muffled voices emitting around the tape he had applied over both their mouths. They were bound together with rope and their wrists were connected with handcuffs. The girl's skin had started returning to normal, and now it only had a faintly green hue.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." James said as Sirius yelled what was most likely a very graphic insult. "You guys, you're really making me proud. You've never been closer than you are now!"

The two unfortunate people who were being held captive glared even harder at James. Sirius wasn't sure what his friend was up to, but he ceased to find this funny when his friend had tied him to Lily Bloody Evans. They had been this way, bound and gagged, for almost an hour now and still their captor hadn't revealed anything. It didn't help matters that Lily kept elbowing him in the ribs, and he was sure she was doing it on purpose.

"Okay, if I take the ropes off will you two promise not to kill me?" James asked, poking Sirius in the nose with his wand. The bound teenager grumbled at him. "Well I'm certainly not going to let either of you free if my gorgeous self is in danger."

The pair tied together glanced at each other, mutually agreeing that their friend had gone nuts and that they should just give him what he wants so they could get away. They looked back at James and nodded.

"Spectacular! It'll only be a moment." The captor said happily, waving his wand as he said a few spells. "There, that should do it."

The pair were now freed of their ropes and the tape that had been over their mouths. As they both awkwardly tried to stand, they noticed that the handcuffs were still on them.

"Uh, James, you forgot something." Lily said, rattling the cuffs and looking at the crazy teen. Sirius frowned, having an idea as to where this was going and he did not like it one bit.

"Oh, no I didn't." James said brightly.

 


	15. Simply Smashing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I realized upon posting this chapter that AO3 didn't carry over my formatting, meaning I need to go back over the last fourteen or so chapters and edit in my bolds and italics. So I'm gonna finish up posting these chapters then go back and edit it when I get a minute.

Hermione pounced on him almost immediately after they'd left the Great Hall and headed for class. As Ron and Harry were still engrossed in their quidditch discussion, the two didn't notice when Hermione grabbed Remus' arm and held him back from the rest. Remus was hardly in the mood for this, but had expected it none the less.

"Just what are you playing at?" The girl whispered fiercely, letting go of his arm when she was sure they were a sufficient distance away from the other two. Remus really couldn't help that his eyes rolled at the question.

"I'm not playing at anything, Hermione." He said, sighing. "I'm not going to give you every detail of my time around Harry, nor am I going to check with you before I do anything. What is your problem this time?"

"You know damn well what my problem is. I'm not an idiot, I saw the way you and Harry acted with each other at breakfast- add in the fact that Harry never sleeps in and you didn't appear until he did. I don't even have to mention that you both look like you've had a good roll in the sack." She shot at him, scowling. "You're going to hurt him and I can't stand by and watch it."

"I am well aware of the situation, thank you." Remus responded, coming to a full stop. At this point he was getting aggravated and he didn't care if he was late for class. "For the record, I didn't start this one. I'm not going to deny that I care about Harry very much, but I sincerely doubt he's reached the point to where if I left right now he wouldn't be able to pick himself up and carry on. I expect I'm just the person he's leaning on for support at the moment, a fling if you will."

"Harry does not have 'flings', Remus. I don't think you fully understand what you're getting into." Hermione ground out, rubbing her eyes in frustration. "Since I've known him he's only been interested in one person- One, until you. That's over six years time."

"So? That is in no way telling of his current feelings."

"You know what? Fine! Do whatever you want, you're going to anyway and I'll be the person left to pick up the pieces that you're going to leave behind." Hermione hissed at him.

"I'm not going to hurt him, Hermione." Remus said firmly, looking at her seriously. After a moment the girl deflated.

"I truly hope, for his sake, you're right."

* * *

The day unfolded strangely for Harry. After breakfast, while walking to their first class, he had noticed Hermione and Remus hanging back. Ron kept him busy enough talking about the upcoming game that he didn't have too much time to dwell on it, but it still struck him as weird.

The first class he had was Advanced Potions, his house joining Hufflepuff. That was something else odd. Snape, who normally ignored everyone except Draco Malfoy unless he was handing out insults, barely spared the displaced Slytherin a glance throughout the entire lesson. Malfoy was being unusually reserved for his part, he hadn't even bothered to muster up a glare for Harry and his companions.

It seemed to Harry that something was off today, both males were somber in a way that caused a bad feeling to settle in the pit of his stomach. He brooded over it for most of the lesson, hardly helping Remus work on their potion at all.

It didn't appear to affect his partner, however, as the now-blonde-again teen worked swiftly and skillfully to finish it himself. It occurred to Harry once his attention returned to the project at hand that Remus had probably done this lesson before. He certainly seemed to know exactly what he was doing, barely sparing a glance at the chalk board for instruction.

Harry found himself watching every movement the other teen made with his hands; slicing, stirring, crumbling. His hands moved in a way that fascinated the emerald-eyed boy to no end. After a while, he found he had the strongest urge to grab the other boy and kiss the day lights out of him.

He figured the Potions Master wouldn't look too highly upon that and refrained, though he still couldn't make himself stop watching the other boy. After stirring the potion a few more times, Remus' hands settled on the table top and the abrupt halt in movement finally snapped Harry out of his zoned out state. He looked up at the face of the other boy only to find amber eyes staring at him in amusement.

"Alright there?" Remus asked lightly, and the look on his face made Harry think that the other boy knew exactly what had been on his mind.

"Never better." Harry returned innocently, glancing into the cauldron on their table as if to check on the progress of the potion. It might have been more effective had Remus thought the raven-haired boy had any idea at all what they were supposed to be making. "What was all that with you and 'Mione earlier?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with," Remus replied, not bothering to lie. He was tired of all the lies he'd been forced to tell since he arrived here in this time. "She just had a question she needed to ask me."

Harry sincerely doubted that was all there was to it, but he could tell from the teen's tone that he didn't want to elaborate at the moment so he didn't press the matter. Stretching back in his seat, Harry cast another considering glance at Malfoy. There was no change in the boy's demeanor and it still troubled him to think about the possibilities that could cause the usually very vocally unpleasant teen to act like his pet had just been murdered. Harry was positive something was going on, likely of the Voldemort variety.

"Mate, why do you keep looking at Malfoy? You into him or something?" He heard from behind him, and whipping his head around he saw that it was Dean Thomas who'd asked. Feeling mortified at the mere suggestion, Harry was at a temporary loss for words. Was this guy serious?

Ron, who had been seated at the table directly in front of Harry and Remus, overheard the question and turned to them with a snort of laughter.

"Seriously? Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, together? Maybe if there was a terrible potions accident that involved Neville!" Ron said with a laugh. Remus didn't find this too funny considering he was only present due to a 'terrible potions accident'.

"I think what Ron's trying to say is maybe when pigs fly." Hermione added with a giggle. She was sitting right beside Ron and had overheard as well. Remus didn't like that one either, considering one of the Marauder's most famous pranks had involved flying pigs.

"You know what? Let's just keep the response to that craziness contained to a simple 'no', since in this world of magic any of those things could actually happen." Harry finally replied, shuddering at the thought. He hadn't failed to notice the look on Remus' face during the banter.

If I didn't know any better I'd say he was... jealous? Harry thought, amused. He found it extremely cute that Remus was uncomfortable with a discussion about him being with someone else, even if the someone suggested was absurd.

Snape dismissed the class after having everyone submit a sample of their potions. He didn't hand out a single insult during the process, even at Neville Longbottom's concoction. Harry decided on the spot he was going to have to talk to Dumbledore about this today, as soon as he could find the time between classes and the big game. After making that decision he promptly pushed all other thoughts about the weirdness out of his mind.

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Remus were walking together down the corridors of the school, headed for their next classes. Ron had Muggle Studies, Hermione Arithmancy, and Harry and Remus were both headed for Advanced Charms. The four split ways at an intersection in the halls, and the two boys continued on their way after agreeing to meet up with their friends for lunch.

It was a short while later, when the teens had almost gotten to their next class, that Harry took Remus by the arm and pulled him through a door off to the side. The werewolf looked on in confusion as the emerald-eyed boy shut the door and locked it behind them.

"Harry, wha-" He didn't get a chance to finish that sentence. Harry thrust him against the wall, capturing his mouth in a fiery kiss without a word. Every nerve in Remus' body immediately started buzzing, as though electricity was running through his veins. Groaning in pleasure, he grabbed hold of the boy in front of him and pulled him closer.

Harry's fingers dug into his back, but Remus couldn't care less. The blonde nipped at the other teen's lip, and was rewarded with a surprised moan. He smirked against the other boy's lips and did it again, igniting sparks of desire in both of them. For Remus the noises he was able to get out of Harry nearly drove the wolf inside crazy.

The kiss ended all too soon, leaving both boys breathless. Harry pulled back enough to look Remus directly in the eyes, and Remus nearly pounced on him again when he saw the blatant desire clouding the other boy's green gaze.

"I've wanted to do that all day." Harry said with a chuckle, his voice husky.

"You mean in the three hours since the last time you did it?" Remus asked in amusement, not removing his arms that were keeping the boy close.

"Yeah, pretty much." The raven-haired boy answered, "I can't help it, you're nearly driving me crazy. It's borderline the only thing I have been able to think about."

Remus thought that was adorable, and leaned in to give Harry a quick kiss. The boy responded with no less enthusiasm than he had during the first one, but the blonde kept it short.

"You do realize we're now late for Charms right?" Remus reminded him, resisting the urge to do any more serious snogging. Harry was not making it easy, looking disheveled and gazing at Remus like he'd love nothing more than to devour him.

"Oh, screw Charms."

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

Resigned. That was the word that best fit Sirius Black's mood. It was several hours later, after James had pulled his stunt in the dormitories, and Lily and Sirius were still bound together by the conjured handcuffs.

James had told them that since they couldn't be arsed to work out their differences civilly, they wouldn't be able to part ways until it occurred forcibly. No amount of sweet talk or threatening on the girl's part made a difference to their situation, and Sirius found himself grudgingly proud that Prongs had not given in to her. It was progress.

The current moment found the three standing inside the Room of Requirement, a location in the castle that even Lily hadn't known existed. Due to James not really having thought through every detail of his little scheme, the two teens had ended up having to tell Lily everything about Remus' disappearance. This explanation began with showing her the boys' long-held secret, the place where all Marauder plots and pranks were brought to fruition.

"So Remus is gone, because somehow you bunch of dunderheads made him disappear to only Merlin knows where by dropping a potion on him?!" Lily asked at a near screech.

James winced at her tone, and was entirely convinced that she needn't make the situation sound quite that bad. Sirius had thus far refused to aid his friend in much of the explanation, still fuming about the underhanded actions that landed them all there in the first place. He stood resolutely to the side while casting all manner of spells and hexes at the damnable cuffs, and when all failed resorted to clawing at them in agitation.

"Well, yeah, that's the gist of it." James replied meekly, "But we are fast approaching the day we'll be able to bring him back from... where ever it is that he's currently at!"

"How in the name of all that is good in the world can you have no idea where one of your best friends are?!" The red-head bit out angrily.

"We do have some ideas! Sirius here thinks he could be off in some alternate universe filled with all the books and homework he could ever want, and therefore he would be in no rush to return any-" James was cut off before he could finish by Sirius, who was not going to let his friend direct the girl's wrath on him.

"Well you're the one who said you figure he's probably in some twisted fantasy world where his days and nights are filled with endless sexual-" This time Sirius was cut off by Lily, who definitely did not want the boy to finish that sentence.

"And what pray tell are you two morons doing to bring him back? I'm appalled you haven't informed someone who might actually know what they're doing!"

"Oh," James remembered abruptly the reason for their visit to the Room of Requirement. He directed the girl's attention to the fully furnished and stocked potions laboratory off to one side of the room.

"We use this lab for most of the potions making we have to do for... uh, class." Sirius coughed, the sound suspiciously like a snicker, and James threw him a vulgar gesture when Lily wasn't looking. "Sirius found a potion that is meant to amplify magical capabilities. We figure we'll have that brew done in about a week and a half, and then it's a simple matter of using one of the lost persons spells we've made a list of."

When the girl didn't immediately react, James hurried to finish the explanation.

"See, the potion will make whatever spell Sirius and I cast very powerful. Add to that the power of dual casting, and there should be no problem what-so-ever summoning our dear Remie home, no matter where he is." As the boy finally finished, Lily walked over to the cauldron containing the aforementioned potion, dragging Sirius along uncaringly. She looked at the concoction for a moment before turning her gaze on the other two.

"That's actually kind of brilliant. What can I do to help?"

* * *

Present Time

* * *

Lupin was concerned. He had been informed by Professor Flitwick that Harry and young Remus had not shown up for their Charms lesson, and Defense was already underway with no sign of the two teens thus far. Hermione and Ron honestly didn't know where their friends had disappeared to, but assured the man that they had attended their first class of the day without mishap.

Normally the odd student missing a lesson or two wouldn't be cause for concern, but unless unable Harry had always made it a point to never miss Defense Against the Dark Arts. That coupled with the teenager's track record for getting into trouble, or rather having trouble find him in spades, had Lupin very worried. If he didn't have a class full of rowdy teenagers to attempt to force-feed wisdom he would have already been scouring the castle for the missing boys.

It confused him that Ron and Hermione didn't seem overly troubled with the absence of their friends. If he didn't find it so ludicrous an idea, he'd almost believe that those two were keeping something from him. He couldn't fathom that thought, however, since he'd always been the 'go-to' guy of sorts for the teenagers. There was hardly anything that they couldn't speak with him about and they were well aware that anything they needed to discuss was kept within strict confidence.

Still, their lack of worry had Lupin relaxing slightly. If they weren't concerned about it then he figured he shouldn't be too terribly anxious over it either. Likely something just had them otherwise occupied and he would find out what it was later. He'd keep an eye out at lunch for the missing two if they didn't end up appearing before the lesson concluded.

* * *

Remus and Harry were out of breath, running like hell was at their heels for their Defense class. They were already half an hour late. Harry was not pleased when he had realized this- ever since Professor Lupin had been reinstated as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor the emerald-eyed teenager had made a point of upholding perfect attendance for that class. Now, that shiny record was shot to hell.

"Do you think he'll give us a detention, or just take points?" Remus asked breathlessly, trying his level best to keep up with his athletic... friend? Seriously need to discuss just exactly what our new 'category' is.

"None of that." Harry said, slowing when he realized they were close to the class room. "He's never been one to deal out punishment unless the transgression is severe. If he suddenly decided to change his tactics we could always just bribe him with chocolate though."

"This is just odd." Remus grumbled under Harry's laughter, coming to a full stop in order to catch his breath and calm his heart rate. "You know my older self very well, don't you?"

Harry blinked, realized the other teenager had stopped and retraced his steps to join him. They both leaned against the wall for a moment's respite before they would have to face the class. "Well, yeah. I've spent a lot of time with him... er, you I guess... Yeah, you're right, this is flipping odd."

"I can only imagine how awkward it will be when we go into that classroom and you realize that the reason you were just half an hour late is because you were snogging the teacher." Remus said in amusement, watching as the thought slowly dawned on Harry's face for the first time. Apparently he hadn't really made the connection until now.

"I really have no response to that." Harry said in a tone that clearly revealed his astonishment at the thought. Grumbling, his scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I think you just fried my brain."

"Well, at least it's not Potions, right?" Remus replied helpfully, leading the way to their Defense classroom with Harry following.

Harry didn't comment as the two teens entered the room, silence immediately falling and every eye locking onto them. The raven-haired boy didn't notice the attention, he was so lost in thought, and when Professor Lupin asked if everything was alright and inquired about their late arrival, it was left to Remus to excuse them.

"I'm sorry sir, we don't have an excuse slip from Madam Pomfrey, but Harry and I were not feeling well after Potions this morning and we needed to rest a spell in the common rooms. We're feeling much better now." The young werewolf lamented, bowing his head slightly in what he hoped was a pitiful manner.

"Well, as long as it wasn't anything serious." Lupin replied, gazing at the two intently for a moment. It was not quite long enough to make Remus fidget, though the urge was mounting. "Please, take your seats."

"Professor!" A snide voice proclaimed as the two late arrivals were seated, "Are you really going to let them get away with that? Given the rumors I'd say they were late because they were too busy shagging."

Remus and Harry's heads both whipped in the direction of the obnoxious voice, and it was no great surprise to discover Draco Malfoy as the culprit. Remus' cheeks had tinged slightly pink at the accusation, while Harry's expression had grown murderous.

"Listen here, you pompous, arrogant-" Harry began, only to be cut off smoothly before he said something too offensive to overlook.

"I'd be more than happy to take this matter up with the Headmaster, and discuss suitable reparations for such a disregard of Hogwarts' school policies, should you of course surrender evidence of the aforementioned crime." Professor Lupin interrupted smoothly, giving the platinum teenager a hard, calculating look. When only silence met his statement, Lupin continued with a raised brow. "As I thought. We will continue on with the lesson and forget that this interruption occurred, however Malfoy, do note for future reference that gossip has no place in my classroom."

Malfoy looked downright pissed, and Harry felt positively gleeful.

Remus was very proud of himself at that, and didn't dwell on the possible headache that he could garner from wondering about the differences between him, himself and him, the older. That was just too confusing and he was perfectly happy to wash his hands of it.

Professor Lupin commanded the students' attention after that and explained to them that they would be working on dueling, both within wizarding rules and without, for the next few weeks. He made a list of dueling pairs and planned that by the end of the lessons everyone would have dueled against each other individual person in their class.

"The purpose of this is so that you won't be able to get accustomed to any one person's style of dueling. In life outside these walls, whether in a proper battle or a spontaneous one, you will not have the chance to gain that advantage and so you should not have it while simply learning to fight here." Lupin explained patiently while indicating that the teenagers should rise from their seats. "Please assist in moving the furniture aside and we will begin."

The class went about doing as they were told, and Harry took the momentary chaos as a chance to observe the older werewolf in a way he had never done before. He began to compare him to the younger counterpart and was surprised to find the similarities.

Of course the obvious was there. Their features were exact once you compared them without Remus' glamour. The eyes, hair, shape of the chin- everything, only older. Then there were the not so obvious ones. The confidence in the way they both held themselves, the older werewolf having a bit more about him, and the spark in their eyes that told of immense intelligence, with a touch of mischief.

Noticing those things now left Harry wondering just how bloody stupid one could be to not put the pieces together. Remus' words ran through the raven-haired boy's head again, and damn if he didn't nearly turn crimson.

Kiss Remus? Er, the older one? Merlin, what a weird thought! Try as he might, Harry couldn't change the direction his thoughts had taken and he found himself actually considering it for a moment. Weird... but not awful. I mean, he's obviously attractive.

It was as the class started settling down and turning their attention back to Professor Lupin that a thought struck Harry suddenly, and he wondered disdainfully why it seemed to only be Defense class in which he had these epiphanies.

When Remus leaves, will Lupin remember all of this? And if he does, will he remember that I fully knew who he was before I ever kissed him?

"Harry," A voice whispered close to his ear, snapping him out of his horrifying thoughts. "Why are you staring at me?"

Harry turned and looked at Remus, the younger, and gave him as close to a reassuring smile as he could manage. The werewolf did not look convinced, and the emerald-eyed teen sighed heavily.

"I was just wondering if he," Harry pointed to the older one, "is going to remember this and exactly what his opinion is going to be."

"Honestly, I'm positive he will. The memory charm is only supposed to prevent him from altering events as they happened. Once I leave, that won't be a danger any longer." Remus replied truthfully, watching Harry's face for his reaction. The other teen's shoulders drooped, and the werewolf hurried to add, with a grin- "But I can tell you what his opinion of all this is at the current moment."

"I'm sure I know," the raven-haired boy replied with a small smirk, "but truthfully I just don't enjoy the idea of you having to leave any more than the thought of facing him."

"I have to go at some point, Harry, there's no getting around that." Remus replied softly, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Are you wanting to end... well, whatever it is, in light of all of this?"

Harry stared at Remus hard at the suggestion, frowning as he took in the other's expression. The younger werewolf didn't seem particularly fond of the idea of ending this, and neither was Harry no matter the consequences of it all. In fact, he was leaning very much in the opposite direction of ending it.

Lupin resumed speaking which cut the conversation short, though Harry still had the presence of mind to shake his head sharply at Remus and gave him a look indicating that their discussion was not over.

"Alright, I'll assign your pairs. Please immediately join with them and prepare yourselves, once everyone knows who they are dueling we will begin." Lupin told the class, and commenced reciting the list he had previously made.

Harry only paid attention when he heard his friends' names called; Hermione vs. Lavender Brown, Remus vs. Neville, and Ron vs. Malfoy. The raven-haired teen nearly choked and looked at Ron, whose face was crimson in anger as he marched over to his assigned partner.

There is going to be hell with that one, Harry thought nervously, if Ron's expression is any indication.

* * *

Remus was a touch disappointed in the ability of his opponent. He hadn't really spent any time getting to know Longbottom, and so he really wasn't aware just how... lacking, the other teenager seemed to be in skill. He knew, obviously, that the other teenager had no aptitude in Potions- you'd have to be blind, deaf and relieved of all feeling in your body to not be aware of that fact- but surely this boy was good at something?

The werewolf found he scarcely needed to fire off any spells, whether to defend or attack, as Neville didn't seem capable of aiming in the near vicinity of him. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be doing plenty of damage to himself due to tripping all over his robes every few seconds. Honestly, Remus was a little concerned the other teenager was going to impale himself on his own wand and bring the duel to a close that way.

Barely sparing the attention it took to deflect the occasional hex that roamed within two feet of him, by chance, Remus turned his gaze to the other duelers. Hermione and Lavender seemed very intent on causing the other harm, and he wondered briefly if that was in any way due to the recent interest Ron had shown toward the dirty-blonde haired Gryffindor.

Lavender was trying so hard to get a hex through Hermione's defenses that she didn't pay much attention to her own safety, due to this Remus watched in amusement as Hermione caught the girl with Petrificus Totalus and she dropped to the floor like a rock.

He next caught sight of Ron's duel with Malfoy. The two were much closer than Hermione was and so Remus could hear the snide remarks and insults being flung between them. Ron was red-faced but determined, and not nearly as brash as Remus assumed he would be.

"What's the matter Weasel? Having a rough time already?" Malfoy asked with a sneer, firing a hex at Ron who quickly deflected it.

"I think it's awful funny how stuck you are on calling me a Weasel, Malfoy." Ron responded, countering with his own hex. Malfoy dodged, but barely. "Especially considering we all know you're just a filthy ferret."

"How dare you? You half-wit cretin!" Malfoy shouted furiously.

Remus rose a brow at the red-head's comment, wondering what he was talking about, but had to turn his attention once more to his own duel for a moment when Neville managed to throw a hex that missed his head by mere inches.

Deciding he was growing tired of deflecting, and wanting to see both Ron's and Harry's duels fully, Remus waited until Neville's mouth formed his next attempted hex and quickly fired off his own while the other teenager was occupied.

"Titillando." Remus watched in amusement as Neville hit the ground and commenced laughing his arse off. One of the first spells he had learned to use after becoming friends with the other Marauders was the Tickling Hex, a great way to incapacitate someone without harming them.

Once Neville surrendered the duel, Remus helped the boy to his feet and they both moved to the edge of the classroom to stand with the other students who had finished theirs. Only a few pairs were left at this point.

Harry had been asked to duel Lupin this first day- the raven-haired boy had told Remus that it likely had to do with Lupin wanting to test his battle skills himself. Apparently members of The Order were constantly testing and trying to teach Harry, to prepare him for the battles ahead.

Lupin and Harry weren't dueling just yet, the older werewolf having wanted to wait until all others were done in case theirs required more room than the average student would need. Both males were vastly more experienced and powerful than any other person in the room, which was likely partially another reason to their pairing- to show the teenagers a true, proper duel that was sure to be encouraging in future lessons.

Watching Harry interact with his older self for a moment, Remus wondered again how Harry felt about their playful behavior when faced with the reality of who the werewolf was. The other teenager didn't look uncomfortable. He spoke to Lupin with ease, laughing at something the man said, and his body language clearly stated that he was comfortable. Maybe it helped that they had a friendship before all of this began?

It took him a moment to realize that the older werewolf was staring at him, and when he did he abruptly snapped his attention to the duel between Ron and Malfoy. It wouldn't do to catch any more unwanted attention from his older self. The two teens engaged in battle were currently too busy tossing insults at each other to bother casting any spells.

"So." The voice was soft with an edge to it. Remus turned and found Hermione had come to stand beside him, also watching the duel between their friend and the prat. "Where exactly were you and Harry for the last two hours?"

"Do you honestly expect that I will answer that question?" Remus rebuffed lightly, glancing at Hermione with a raised brow.

"Truly, no, I don't." She surprised him by saying, though her tone indicated her distaste for his refusal. "I care about Harry, and I've come to care for you as well. I sincerely don't want to see either of you hurt if I can help it- though, I am coming to understand I may not be able to after all."

Remus watched the girl beside him carefully for a moment, his gaze borderline calculating. Finally, after a moment, he nodded to himself and spoke.

"You don't have to like what's going on between Harry and I, and you certainly don't have to understand it as I'm not even sure I myself do. What I do know is the way I feel about him, and based on that I'm going to give him and be whatever it is he needs to keep going right now. I am not, however, asking for your approval."

"Well," Hermione said, drawing out the word. "You have it any way. I wouldn't trust anyone else with his heart."

"I'm not sure that's what's going on between us, but thank you all the same." Remus responded quietly, turning his attention back to Malfoy and Ron just as the red-head blasted through the blonde's shield spell and sent him sprawling across the room.

"Well done Ron! That was a very effective spell choice." Lupin said, moving briskly across the room to help Malfoy stand. "Non-lethal while still getting the point across. Thirty points to Gryffindor."

Ron's ears tinged pink at the praise, and he practically glowed with pride at having done well. Hermione was grinning at him approvingly and Harry had moved to clap his friend on the back encouragingly.

It was as Remus was moving across the room to congratulate the red-head that the entire castle shook with force, and part of the ceiling caved in.

 


	16. Calm Before The Storm

Maniacal laughter rent through the air as a herd of dark robed figures marched forward with purpose. Witches and wizards who were unlucky enough to be found standing in the streets of the small town during this invasion quickly attempted to scurry to the nearest shelters. Unfortunately, many were not fast enough to avoid the curses that were being thrown from the wands of the vicious invaders.

Bodies fell left and right, sometimes being trampled without care when dropped in the streets. Those who had made it to safety in the shops, bars or homes quickly floo'd or apparated away from the massacre, uncaring of those left behind.

Shopkeepers and barkeeps attempted to make their businesses as safe as possible by throwing up the strongest wards they knew. Being ordinary civilians, their magic was not nearly powerful enough to keep out the criminals. The only thing that made them safe was that the mass of hooded figures had a mission, and therefore couldn't afford to dally. No, those killed were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Soon, the figures had marched through the town and up a path that stopped at a massive pair of wrought iron gates. The magical wards exuding from the barriers were such that they sent shivers went down many of the robed group's spines- the power nearly hissed and whipped its self tighter to the structure, sensing the evil before it.

A tall figure stepped up through the throng of people, coming to a stop at the front of the group. Taking a moment to survey the majestic property beyond the gates, he let his lip curl in pleasure. This was what they had been waiting for, this would be a heavy blow to all who opposed him. After savoring the thought a few more minutes, he turned to address those gathered with him.

"Today is is the day we have been waiting for, my loyal servants. It will not be long now, we will be victorious."

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

"Two drops of-" A sudden boom cut Lily off mid-sentence, and she turned to find Sirius standing above one of the many cauldrons that sat on the work tables in the Room of Requirement. The teenager was covered in brown sludge and had soot on his face, the cauldron before him looking like a bomb had went of within it.

"What the hell did you do, mate?" James asked, bewildered.

"I didn't do anything. This was something Peter had brewing in here and I was just trying to figure out what it was when it exploded on me!" Sirius defended, shaking his head to dislodge the brown goo. After a moment he realized it wasn't working well and he started shaking his whole body like he was having a seizure, vigorously trying to get the disgusting stuff off of him.

"Oh, honestly." Lily snapped, raising her wand and casting a cleansing spell on the boy. Instantly he was as clean as he would be from taking a bath, yet he still hadn't caught onto the fact and so he continued gyrating. "You know, I'm starting to understand more and more how you two ended up sending your friend Merlin-knows-where."

"Well... the jury's still out on whether it was Sirius' or Peter's fault specifically, but yeah... maybe we could tone it down a tiny bit around unstable potions?" James replied, shrugging helplessly as he watched his friend make an ass of himself. Lily gave him an 'are-you-stupid?' look before jerking on the chain that held her tied to Sirius. The teenager, not having expected this, promptly fell on his ass in an undignified manner.

"Oof!" Sirius groaned, standing up after a moment and rubbing his sore backside. "What was that for?!"

"We have more important things to do than to watch you make a fool of yourself." Lily explained simply, promptly turning her back to the imbecile and focusing once more on the potion she had been working on. She was making an attempt to teach James how to brew their Potions assignment correctly, and to her pleasant surprise he wasn't as much of an idiot as she had assumed he was. Sirius seemed to mostly be the loose cannon of the pair.

"Jamsie!" Sirius wailed dramatically, "That woman is being mean to meee!"

"Well, you know Siri, there are more important things we need to focus on right now. It's only eight more days before we can call Remus back and instead of studying up on everything we need to do so we can make sure it goes right, you'd rather dance around like a clown."

Sirius, hurt, glared at his friend fiercely and crossed his arms. "You're choosing her over me? That woman has got you cracked!"

"I am not!" James defended, "I'm just sayin', ya know, maybe she does have a point!"

"Yeah right! You're just taking her side because you're dying to get in her pants!" Sirius retorted snidely.

"You know what? You're a jackass Sirius." The short-haired boy responded acidly, taking out his wand. "I think you should go cool off before you say something you can't take back."

With that, James cast a spell over the chain that had been connecting the two others in the room. Once free, Sirius rubbed his wrist and opened his mouth and then immediately closed it as if thinking better of whatever he had been about to say. Without another word, the teenager turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Present Era

* * *

_"Remus!"_

_"Oh God!"_

_"What's going on?!"_

_"I'm scared!"_

_"Are we under attack?!"_

_"Don't be stupid, this is Hogwarts! Nothing can break into the wards here!"_

Remus groaned, then immediately fell victim to a coughing fit. He choked on the dust and debris that floated in the air around him for a few minutes before finally regaining control of his lungs. Briefly confused as to what had happened, he replayed his memory of the last ten minutes. Apparently the roof had caved in, and wasn't it lucky that Remus had been there to break its fall?

He could feel something heavy across his back, pinning him to the floor with its weight. His right side was undamaged from what he could tell, but his left arm seemed a bit... off. He tested his fingers, twisted his wrist, tried to curl his arm into his body so he could get leverage to push the object off his back. The moment he tried to force weight onto his left arm it immedately gave out on him and firey pain exploded through his arm and into his shoulder.

Well, there's most definitely something broken. He thought with a grimace.

Remus looked up once the sounds around him finally started registering. People were frantic, many believing this was part of an attack on the school, others clueless as to a cause but scared nonetheless. Hermione was kneeling in front of him, looking worried and talking. He realized with a start she must have been speaking for some time now and decided to tune in to what she was saying.

"-and it won't be long, okay? Just hold on, you're going to be alright. Is anything hurting? Can you feel your fingers, legs, arms, knees? We need to make sure-"

"Merlin's balls Hermione!" Ron cut in, exasperated. "The guy just got smashed by a large chunk of stone, can you give him a minute to breathe?"

"I'm just trying to make sure he's okay, Ronald!" The girl snapped back, then immediately lowered her voice and focused back on Remus. "Well?"

"I-ah-" Remus coughed again, then cleared his throat and made another attempt at speech. "I'm fine for the most part. Something's the matter with my left arm, I think."

"Oh no! I hope it isn't broken, mate." Ron had a mournful look on his face, standing behind Hermione. "That Skele-Gro's a right bitch, it is."

"Okay, Harry, now." The werewolf heard, tuning out Hermione and Ron who had started bickering over the usefulness of Skele-Gro verses the pain of it. He recognized the voice of his older self, somewhere to the right and behind him.

"Fuck's sake this thing weighs a ton." Harry grunted, sounding strained. His voice was coming from the opposite side of Lupin's. As Remus felt the weight on his back shift, he realized the two were trying to get the ceiling stone off of him.

"That's it, almost have it." Lupin assured with effort. A few moments passed before Remus suddenly felt light as a feather, and there was a very loud bangsomewhere off to the side of the room.

Remus took in his first deep breath since coming to his senses after the incident. It felt good to be able to breathe again. As he was getting adjusted to his lungs no longer being compressed, he felt a hand wrap around his right arm and a jolt like electricity flared through him at the touch. The hand was quickly snatched away and he heard his older self let out a whispered curse.

What in the world is going on with that? Remus briefly pondered, before Harry took over and helped him stand. He was shooting an odd look at Lupin over the younger werewolf's head, having caught the look on his face after the contact.

"Alright there?" Harry questioned the older man, who nodded absently and went to the fireplace in the room. "What about you, Remus? You told 'Mione your arm is hurt?"

"Yeah, I think I've broken it." The teen replied, attempting to move said appendage again before freezing at the pain that laced through him once more. Harry shot him a concerned look.

"Well, Pomfrey will be able to fix it without an issue I'm sure." Hermione said soothingly, patting Remus on his right shoulder carefully. "No other injuries?"

"None that I'm aware of besides some cuts and bruises." Remus responded.

"The hell would cause the roof to just collapse like that?" Ron asked, drawing the other three teenagers' attentions to the ceiling above them.

There was a hole that didn't go all the way through to the floor above, its edges jagged and cracked. It was pretty deep and extended over a four foot by two foot area of the stone. A few long cracks extended across the rest of the ceiling, running as far as the walls before stopping.

"I don't know," Harry replied slowly, considering. "But something's weird about this. Remember how the whole castle shook right before that chunk of stone fell? I don't think the ceiling had anything to do with any of this."

"I think you're right." Remus agreed with a frown, "What we should be worried about is whatever it was that caused a structure as massive and unyielding as Hogwarts to shake, enough to damage it even."

"Maybe someone just screwed up in one of the classes above us?" Ron supplied hopefully.

"I doubt it, the classes on that floor are all first year courses. There's no way a first year would know any type of spell that would be powerful enough to do this." Hermione said contemplatively, tapping her chin in thought.

"Please everyone! Just calm down and try not to panic." Lupin's voice cut across the growing chaos of the other students, who were slowly getting louder and more frantic. "I'm sure that whatever has happened will be explained in due time."

"He doesn't sound so sure to me." Harry observed quietly to the other three, who nodded in agreement. Something was definitely up.

The four teenagers watched as, having quelled the mania, the Professor grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it in the flames of the fireplace. Once they shifted green, Lupin leaned forward and whispered something before sticking his head in the fire.

* * *

As Dumbledore's office focused slowly in his vision, Lupin's mind whirled. Something was wrong, the castle was being attacked but he had no idea how. The wards were designed to prevent all outsiders with harmful intentions from being able to come on the grounds without explicit permission- such as when Dumbledore escorted Lucius Malfoy to visit with his son.

If someone were to get past those wards and attack the school, an alarm ingrained in the school's intricate design of protective magic would sound silently to all staff members. The alarm was sort of like your blood vibrating in your veins, sufficient to notify you but not any students. It was necessary to keep order and prevent hysteria should an attack ever occur on the property.

In all of Hogwarts' hundreds of years of life, the alarm had only sounded a handful of times and never in Lupin's lifetime.

Once the room finally snapped into focus, Lupin peered at Dumbledore through the green flames. The man looked every bit his age at that moment, and it worried the werewolf to no end. The Headmaster was seated at his desk, head bowed and fingers in a steeple. There were others in the room with him- Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Filch the caretaker, and Professor Binns. Lupin wondered briefly where their students were if they were all gathered here.

"Albus." The Defense teacher said, alerting all to his presence. Dumbledore's head rose and he looked at Lupin with an expression that was a mix between weariness and resignation.

"Remus, my boy. I was just about to send the ghosts to notify the staff of what is happening." Dumbledore said in a calm tone of voice that belied the look on his face. "I suppose it will not be necessary for you."

"What is happening, Headmaster?" Lupin asked, "I have an entire class of seventh years growing hysteric. They are convinced that the school is under attack, and the alarm has been set off."

"I fear they are right. The school is indeed under attack." Dumbledore confirmed. "It seems that my affinity for seeing the good in people has lead us into danger."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Several students and a teacher have begun attacking the school from within. I'm afraid that before we figured out what was happening a few of them managed to make their way to the gates, and at this very moment a rather large gathering of Death Eaters are on their way up to the castle." The Headmaster responded wearily. "We are asking all staff members to escort their students directly to the Great Hall. We have reinforced the doors in the Entrance Hall to buy time, but it will not be much."

"Remus," McGonagall spoke from her place beside Dumbledore's desk, "We don't have a lot of time to go over everything right now. Take your class to the Great Hall. We are opening the floo network in that room and we are going to get the students out of the castle. Hurry."

"Understood. So you're aware, I have Harry in my current class." Lupin informed Dumbledore, who nodded thankfully.

"Try and make sure the boy doesn't fall prey to his usual lust for heroics, would you?" Snape spoke up, rolling his eyes. "We have many things of much greater importance to concern ourselves with."

Lupin shot the Potions Master a icy look for the remark before pulling his head out of the fire to tend to his students.

* * *

Harry watched as Lupin pulled away from the fireplace and dusted soot off his shoulders. Straightening, the man walked to the middle of the room and gave his students a very serious look. Ron shifted uncomfortably beside the raven-haired teen, not used to seeing such an expression on the usually easy-going man's face.

"Your attention please. Good. Now, I have been informed that the school is indeed being attacked-" Lupin was cut off by the sudden sharp rise of shrieking, shouting and general den of noise that his words incited from the class. With an impatient wave of his wand and a quick spell, the man rendered the noisy student body silent, though their mouths were still moving for several seconds.

"As I was saying, the school is under assault at the moment and we are required to report to the Great Hall for evacuation. If you would all stay calm and orderly, the staff will have no trouble getting you out of the castle without delay. However, should you refuse to contain yourselves from becoming manic, I will be forced to stun you for the sake of the other students. Is this all clear?"

The students had fallen silent and nodded their understanding wordlessly. It was understandable that they were scared, the war had never been real to most of them. Reading about it in the prints was a lot different from having it shoved in your face, and the danger had suddenly become much too realistic for them.

"Oh, no. This is terrible." Hermione whispered to the three boys as the class filed out of the room, orderly and subdued. Her face was ashen at the news, and Ron put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"I just hope He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is very far away right now and not part of this attack." Ron said with a shudder as they followed the body of students through the corridors.

"He doesn't like to get his hands dirty, that's for sure," Harry replied, consideringly. "But I doubt he'd be absent for something as big as taking over Hogwarts. He wouldn't want to miss out on a moment of that."

"That's entirely too logical for my tastes." Ron replied flatly, "That means he's most likely lurking around here somewhere."

"Personally," A voice drawled from behind the quartet, who turned their heads as they walked and caught sight of Malfoy. "I don't know why Glory-Boy here hasn't killed the bastard yet."

"Don't be more daft than we already assume you are, Malfoy." Hermione huffed, crossing her arms in a defensive manner. "Harry is not nearly prepared enough to face him. If he was sent up against He-Who-Mustn't-Be-Named right now, he'd be killed."

"Well, I think we should have a vote as to how many of us wouldn't mind taking that chance." Malfoy sneered.

"Yeah, we should just toss him out the doors to distract the Dark Lord while the rest of us get away." A Hufflepuff boy added. Ron's jaw dropped- Weren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be compassionate?

"That's a grand idea." Malfoy agreed with a smirk.

"Why the hell are you even here? Miss the Death Eater call to arms?" Ron asked acidly, glaring at the platinum blonde. Malfoy looked affronted by the question.

"Why do you assume everyone who isn't nice to you Gryffindorks must automatically be a murdering psychopath?" Malfoy queried with a frown.

"We don't assume that based off how you treat us, we assume that based off the fact that your father is a Voldemort boot-licker." Ron supplied helpfully.

"Don't speak of my father, you don't know anything." Malfoy responded, angry.

"Look, just ignore him. We're almost to the Great Hall and we have more pressing things to concern ourselves with." Hermione interrupted the two.

Malfoy attempted to rekindle the argument with a few more snide remarks, before giving up when no one took the bait and falling back away from the four. Harry had been ignoring most of the interaction, too busy staring at Remus and noting how the pained expression on the younger werewolf's face kept growing deeper by the minute.

"Just hang in there, Remus." Harry said soothingly, "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be in the Great Hall since the whole school is being gathered there. She'll at least give you something for the pain until we can get someone to mend your arm."

"Hurts, but I've had worse." Remus replied, shrugging his good shoulder.

After a few more minutes of walking, the students and Professor Lupin finally arrived at the Great Hall. Upon entering the room, the class paused at the pandemonium before them. Some lower years were bawling, shrieking, while the higher years were mostly milling about, pale and worried. A few girls of all ages were huddled to one side of the room, holding each other and crying.

The teachers, Headmaster, Healer and Filch were all standing near the large fireplace that had been obscured by the head table before. They had removed all tables from the room, and the Great Hall seemed almost barren to Harry as he looked around.

After the brief pause, Lupin directed his students to a part of the room near the fireplace that was mostly empty. The teenagers all followed without a word, taking his threat of stunning them very seriously. A few were joined by friends or family from other years and houses on the way over, Ginny coming to glue herself to her big brother's side. Harry watched from his place nearby as Dumbledore fiddled with the fireplace, throwing a piece of paper in the green flames and after a moment retrieving one that had been sent back.

After getting what appeared to be a response, he straightened and said a few words to the adults surrounding him, before turning to address the student body. Casting sonaris on himself, his voice boomed over the volume of the kids.

"Your attention!" Immediately a silence fell across the room, so suddenly that Harry started at the lack of noise. "I know you are all frightened, but do as we direct and you will all make it out of this situation unharmed. Now, we have made arrangements with the goblins at Gringotts for you all to travel there. It is the only place large enough for all of you to arrive in safety. Owls have been sent out to guardians, who will arrive to escort you back to your homes in due time. It is important you listen very closely to all authoritative figures, so we can conduct this transport without issue. A few professors will go first, and then we will be sending you over based on year. First years will, of course, be first and so on."

After Dumbledore's speech, Professors Binns, Trelawney and Madam Hooch immediately disappeared through the fireplace. The first years had been gathered to the front and were being sent across in the green flames in groups of four. It didn't take long to work through the numbers and soon they were starting on second years. While this was happening, McGonagall made her way over to Professor Lupin and motioned for Harry and his friends to come join them.

"Obviously we aren't sending you lot on with the rest of them," McGonagall told them in a low tone so as not to be overheard, "I am to escort you to the Headmaster's office and make use of his floo to remove you from the castle."

"It hardly seems fair to take such special precautions with us when-" Hermione began with a frown, before McGonagall cut her off.

"Harry is our priority. His safety, regrettably, comes before all else. We know him well enough by now to realize that he will not go anywhere if his friends are not safe, so you four will be joining him." McGonagall informed the girl in clipped tones, "We must make haste. Lupin, you will be joining us after you've seen to your students."

"Of course. Where will I meet you?" The older werewolf asked respectfully. Harry didn't like the thought of leaving Lupin behind, it made him feel ill. As McGonagall began to reply to the older man's question, Harry interrupted.

"That's true that I won't leave my friends behind, Professor. That includes Lupin." Ron's jaw, once again, hit the floor at Harry's disregard of McGonagall's orders. The raven-haired teen usually never went against her. "Go ahead and send 'Mione, Ron, Ginny and Remus-who has a broken arm, by the way- through. I'll wait until Lupin can leave and travel with him."

"We will care for Mr. Holmes' arm once we arrive, but Mr. Potter you staying here is out of the question- the longer you remain in this castle the more danger you're drawing to yourself." McGonagall bit out angrily, a scowl on her face. "You will-"

"With all due respect, McGonagall," Harry interjected with anything but, "I will be perfectly safe in Lupin's presence until we can leave and I'm not the one meant to kill Voldemort for no reason- I am very capable of defending myself."

"That is besides the point!"

"No, it isn't. I am not leaving."

"You're acting like a petulant child, this isn't a game!"

"Look, can't we-" Lupin started to interrupt, but the two carried on as if he hadn't spoken. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Remus watched the exchange like a ping-pong match, eyes wide and shocked.

"People have been attempting to murder me since I was in diapers, I'm well a-fucking-ware this isn't a game!"

"Language! If you're aware of the fact then do as you're told, it's in your best interest!"

"I'm a legal adult, I can decide for myself what is in my best interest, Minevra!" Harry said with acid, his magic beginning to manifest. He wasn't sure exactly what had started this need to make sure Lupin would be alright, but he felt it so fiercely that he'd be damned if that woman stopped him.

"Mr. Potter I am telling you for the last time-"

"No, I'm telling you- I won't leave without him!" Harry's magic crackled as his voice boomed.

Harry's friends, McGonagall and Lupin stared in stunned silence at the teenager after he all-but shouted that last part to the heavens. None of them was really sure where this was coming from, but McGonagall knew they were too limited on time to continue this insanity any longer. She reasoned that with Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin all there the boy would be fine. She would, if nothing else, transport his friends to the safety of the headquarters so there would be nothing else keeping Harry from leaving once Lupin finished his job.

With a stern look at Lupin that conveyed the message, 'Don't let a hair on his head be harmed,' she barked at the other teens to follow her and began walking away stiffly. Ron and Hermione, still too shocked to speak, just cast Harry questioning looks before following the woman, Ginny trailing behind. Remus paused, staring at Harry as if he'd grown three heads.

"That- I mean, you know, you..." The teenage werewolf was at a loss for words, and Harry just gave him a look that said they'd talk later.

"You'd better catch up, the quicker they get you out of here the quicker you can be healed." The emerald-eyed teenager told his friend gently. With a nod, Remus put his right hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Keep safe, Harry."

"Always." Harry replied, watching as Remus turned and walked out of the Great Hall.

Lupin was watching Harry from the corner of his eye, wondering what had come over the teen. He knew that they were close, but he couldn't imagine their friendship warranting any type of emotional response to that magnitude. Something was clearly going on with Harry.

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

Sirius was sitting with Peter at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. It was lunch, two hours since he and James had had their argument. The two were not currently speaking to each other, and Sirius had tracked down Peter out of boredom.

Currently, Padfoot was stabbing his mashed potatoes and periodically glaring daggers in James and Lily's directions. The two were getting along better than ever, laughing and talking and acting like Sirius didn't exist! He was so aggravated by this that he picked up a carrot and petulantly tossed it in their direction. Missing, he hit the kid two seats down from Lily who looked up with a glare before immediately acting like nothing happened when he saw the smirk on the Marauder's face.

"So..." Peter began conversationally. Sirius still hadn't managed to pry out of him where he'd been for the past few weeks, but honestly he hadn't tried too terribly hard to get the information. Peter was not a very interesting topic.

"What?" Sirius snapped at his friend waspishly. Peter ignored it.

"...Are you only hanging out with me 'cause Lily is giving James the time of day now, so James is too wrapped up in her to pay attention to you?" Sirius was affronted.

"What?! No! Why in Merlin's beard would you think that?"

"Uh... You do realize a few months ago you got completely wasted and you told both me and Remus that you're in love with James, right?" Peter responded slowly, as if Sirius were the stupid one.

"Nonsense! I did not! Slander and calumny!"

"Yeah... you also told us about that incident with the tutu and the spork and the bowling ball."

"SHUT UP! If you continue to act like an ass, I will be forced to treat you like an ass!"

"...That sentence is a lot more threatening than it should be with you being gay and all." Peter replied.

Sirius blinked slowly at Peter before breaking into a fit of laughter. He laughed so hard he snorted, before finally calming down after several minutes. Companionable silence filled the air for a while after that, until it was broken by a desperate cry from down the table.

" _BUT WHY DOES IT PUT THE LIME IN THE COCONUT?! WHHHY_?!" James cried.

* * *

_And now for your viewing pleasure, a 'deleted scene' from the Easter Holiday at Grimauld._

* * *

Harry, Remus, Hermione and Ron were all lounging about in the sitting room of the house, bored out of their minds. Hermione had a book open on her lap, not really reading it, while Ron and Remus played a game of wizard's chess and Harry worked on an essay due when they returned to school.

"This is going to sound random, but," Hermione began as she watched Ron move a piece on the board, "Have you ever noticed how, in books, the characters hardly ever go to the bathroom and when they do there's usually a plot-twisty reason behind it?"

"Uh, yeah." Remus replied, glancing at the girl. "But who wants to read about someone defecating for no reason?"

"Hey, Ron, where're you going?" Harry asked as he watched the red-head get up and start to leave the room. Ron paused at the door.

"Huh? Oh, gotta use the loo, mate. Feels like I've been holding it for weeks."

 


	17. Bedlam Bites

McGonagall was in a very foul mood and had been ever since they'd left Harry and Lupin in the Great Hall. Remus figured that she hadn't appreciated being told off by a teenager and not being able to really do a damn thing about it. The journey to Grimauld hadn't been very interesting, they had made several different floo's at a few obscure locations so as not to lead a direct trail to the area they had arrived at for apparition. It had been mildly amusing when they arrived at the abandoned building and Ron had walked directly into a cobweb, before McGonagall had snapped at them and they'd popped off to the street outside the old Black house.

The moment they had entered the residence, they were swept up in a flurry of activity. The rooms were full to the brim with Order members, so much so that there was hardly any space to move around. Sirius was standing near the stairs, staring at the door as if he'd been waiting for the group to arrive. Once he saw them walk in, he immediately made his way over to them, elbowing a few people out of his path as he went.

"Thank Merlin you lot are safe, I was really bloody worried when the word got through here about the attack an- wait, where's Harry?" The man broke off midway through, eyes roaming over the group as if he expected his godson to pop out from behind one of them and yell 'surprise!'

"Er, he didn't come with us." Ron told him slowly, afraid that the man would be set off by the words.

"What the hell do you mean he didn't come with you?" Sirius, stone-faced, glared daggers at McGonagall, who returned the glare full-force.

"He refused to accompany us. Where is Tonks? We have need of her healing abilities." The Transfiguration professor asked.

"I demand to know what happened to my godson!" Sirius yelled, ignoring the woman's question.

"Sirius, can we please just get my arm unbroken before we go into the details? I've been dealing with this for two hours." Remus piped up, exasperated at this point. Seriously, like ten minutes of medical attention was not much to ask for.

"Remus, what happened?" Sirius questioned quickly, only just noticing the way the teen was cradling his left arm. Not waiting for a response, the man turned and bellowed down the hall for his cousin. "Oi! 'Dora, get your ass over here!"

"Why are you shouting, I don't have time to entertain you Sirius I have-" Tonks, speaking without looking up from papers in her hands as she walked out of the kitchen toward them, paused abruptly when she noticed the group standing with her cousin. "Oh! It's a great relief to see you are all here safely!"

"Not all of them," Sirius grumbled darkly, "Harry's not with them and Remus needs medical attention."

"What do you mean Harry's not with them?" Tonks asked with a frown as she walked up to Remus and began inspecting his arm. Taking out her wand, she began casting a few spells quietly to determine the extent of the damage.

"That's what I said." Padfoot responded with a scowl. Tonks merely rose a brow at him as she finished her examination.

"Well, your arm's definitely broken. In two places. I think Snape left some medical potions in the first aid kit in the kitchen, follow me you lot." The auror said, turning to lead them to the room. The rest trailed behind her silently, Remus noticing with confusion how the young woman's hair drifted through three different colors before they entered the room.

Tonks immediately went to the bottom cabinet beside the sink and withdrew what appeared to be a shrunken trunk. Laying it on the table, she cast an enlargement spell. The tiny thing grew to the size of a normal school trunk, and Tonks quickly flicked it open and began rummaging around inside.

Before long, the woman withdrew with a few vials of potions and beckoned Remus over to her. McGonagall, having other matters to attend to, left the room without a word to any of them. Sirius eyed her as she walked out, wondering if she was just making excuses to avoid his wrath over the absence of his godson.

"Here we have a maximum strength Skele-Gro potion, it'll mend your arm within two hours, a pain killing potion and a rejuvenation tonic. Take all three, you'll start feeling back to yourself in no time." Tonks told Remus with a friendly smile. The teen immediately began drinking the potions, staring once more as the woman's hair turned a different shade- this time a bright, neon green.

"Okay, now will you tell me what is going on with Harry?" Sirius asked after watching Remus down the last potion. Hermione, Ron and Ginny all seated themselves at the table as Tonks shrunk the trunk back down and put it back in its place. Remus and Sirius remained standing, both too anxious to sit.

"He refused to leave the castle until Professor Lupin could leave as well." Hermione explained simply.

"What do you mean he refused to leave until Moony could? Why would he do something like that?" Sirius questioned, incredulous.

"Mate, we aren't even sure what the hell happened. Harry just exploded on McGonagall- bit her head off he did, it was actually kind of funny, and-" Ron began, before being silenced by Hermione.

"I think it was just that he knew the four of us would be alright, so he felt like he needed to stay and make sure the Professor would be too." Hermione concluded smoothly, glancing at the three in the room who weren't aware of the connection between Remus and the older werewolf.

A look of understanding dawned on Sirius' face, and he shot a look at Remus as if blaming him for Harry being in danger. The teenager understood from the look that Sirius had deduced that there had been some kind of shift in the relationship between himself and Harry, causing the other boy to act rashly about Lupin. At least, that's as much as Remus could assume from the way his friend had looked at him.

"Ginny, I think your mother is in the sitting room with a few of your siblings. Be a dear and go tell her that you lot arrived safely, would you?" Tonks asked lightly from her place near the sink. The red-head didn't look like she wanted to miss the conversation, but didn't question the auror and promptly vacated the room. "I gather you guys would like a few minutes to yourselves, I'll make sure no one bothers you for a while."

After those words, Tonks gave them a knowing grin before walking out the door. Sirius and the teenagers were a little taken back with the woman's ability to divine that the four needed to speak alone. Hermione snapped out of it first, turning to Ron after the door closed behind the auror.

"Before we discuss this further, Ron there's something you need to know." Hermione began, talking in a tone she hoped was calming. She wasn't really sure what the red-head's reaction to this information would be.

"What?"

"Right, I'm just going to lay it all out there. Remus Holmes over there," The girl pointed at said teenager, "and Remus Lupin are the same person."

"...Yeah, I was kinda wondering how long it was gonna take you and Harry to figure out that one." Ron shocked them all by saying. As the three stared at the red-head with mouths open, he continued. "What?! I'm not as bloody stupid as you people seem to think I am! I figured that out about Remus ages ago!"

"Why in Merlin's name didn't you ever say anything?" Hermione asked in wonder, "And how, pray tell, did you make that deduction before I did?"

"Oh gimme a break, 'Mione. A teenager shows up toward the end of seventh year, who happens to have the name Remus, who happens to be a werewolf, whohappens to already be friends with Sirius? How the bloody hell did you not know?"

As Hermione spluttered indignantly, Remus stared at Ron, flummoxed. He was beginning to wonder if the red-head put on a show of being an idiot just so he could see the stunned faces of people when he actually provided insightful input.

"Yes, well, that's all well and good." Hermione managed to say finally, "But did you know that Harry and Remus have been snogging each other blind?"

Remus sounded a weak protest at the callousness of that question, and Ron turned red, then slightly greenish before he too started spluttering. Hermione looked vastly satisfied with that result, and smiled. Sirius rolled his eyes at the two, more concerned with worry for his godson and puzzling out what was wrong with that boy. And maybe fighting the urge he had to strangle the teenager the second he saw him, maybe.

"So what you're saying is Harry has developed feelings for Remus, and by default-" At the glare Remus shot his way, the man coughed and changed words, "Er, I mean and due to that he's feeling extra protective of the older one?"

"If you're implying what I think you are-" Remus began, only to be promptly cut off by Hermione who glared at him.

"I think the time for your denial is over. I've told you already and- for the love of everything- I will do so again," The girl ground out, "Harry does not have flings. If he's doing things like kissing you, and quite thoroughly it seems, then he is interested in an actual relationship. Why have you two not discussed this before locking lips?"

"We were going to have some kind of discussion, but then the castle tried to kill me and we all had to evacuate." Remus grumbled, a red tinge in his cheeks. He was suddenly feeling very tired and his arm was starting to hurt from the Skele-Gro despite the pain medicine.

"Are you guys sure that's what it is? I mean, Harry's always been awful fond of Remus- er, I mean Lupin- maybe he really was just worried about his safety and his feelings toward our friend here had no part in it?" Ron offered hopefully. He had accepted the fact that Harry swung both ways, but it was kind of hard to wrap his head around his best friend allegedly having those kinds of feelings for their professor. Rubbish! Stop thinking about it! Merlin's balls, the images!

Hermione just shot Ron a look that clearly said are-you-bloody-stupid-again? before Sirius went pale and stood up straighter. He asked Hermione the date, then his face lit with a grimace when she told him. Remus only barely registered all of this as he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. There must have been a sedative in one of those potions, this is ridiculous.

"Remus, when exactly did you and Harry start this... unique friendship?" Padfoot asked him slowly, as if he were afraid of the answer. Remus frowned.

"Kind of... this morning... I guess." The teen mumbled sluggishly, having trouble staying aware. He laid his head down on the table once it suddenly became too heavy for his neck to hold up any more.

"Oh, bloody fucking hell." Sirius groaned in dismay. Remus' eyes starting falling shut of their own accord, but he still managed to let out a questioning grunt, no longer capable of forming words it seemed.

"Eight days..." Was the last thing the teenager heard before the world went black.

* * *

Harry was immensely grateful he'd made the decision to stay at the school instead of escaping with the others. It hadn't taken long for the Death Eaters to break through the wards on the doors, and they had been about half-way through sending off the sixth years when the dark-robed figures marched into the Great Hall and everything quickly dissolved into bedlam.

Dumbledore had instructed a few members of staff to stay at their posts by the fireplace, trying to send students through as quickly as they could before any of them were harmed. After making sure that they understood their orders, he quickly joined the chaotic battle, Snape on his heels. Harry had been informed of the Potions professor's position as a high ranking spy for the Order, so he wasn't exactly sure why the man was now here and fighting for the light instead of keeping up with appearances, but he didn't have time to ponder over it at the moment.

Harry and Lupin stuck close by each other's sides, protecting those left from the class and defending one another as well. Several seventh year students who were of age had engaged in assisting the battle. It was surreal for the emerald-eyed teen to see so many students he recognized fighting on the side of Voldemort, and even Professor Sprout was on the opposing side. They had to of Imperio'd her, no way would she willingly involve herself with Voldemort.

As the teenager turned to deflect a curse, he caught sight of a group of Death Eaters headed right for him and those he was protecting. He glanced at Lupin and they caught each other's eye, the older having caught sight of the enemies approaching as well. Harry glanced at the fireplace and realized that they were starting on the seventh years now, Thank Merlin, and he quickly nodded his head in that direction to indicate this to Lupin.

"Students," Lupin called out to the teenagers who had been in his class when all of this started. "I need you to make your way toward the fireplace now, alright? They're moving quickly, you'll be out of here in no time, but stick together!"

With nervous, frightened expressions the group of students began making their way quickly along the wall and up to the raised platform normally reserved for the head table during dining hours. A few of the professors standing there hastily ushered them towards the fireplace, positioning themselves between the students and the battle. Now freed of their charges, Harry and Lupin were finally able to fully focus their attention on the fight at hand and the approaching danger.

Lupin shifted closer to Harry, briefly considering placing himself in front of the teenager to protect him, before realizing it would do no good. Harry would never allow that. The raven-haired boy glanced at him, silently thanking him for what he knew was a great deal of will power on the werewolf's part.

"It's a bit odd they're just... coming. No spells or anything." Harry commented idly, holding his wand steady in a defensive position in front of him. Lupin nodded in agreement.

"They most likely are going to attempt something devious instead of an outright attack." The werewolf responded, "You need to be on guard, Harry. You know they're going to be focusing on you. Try and keep safe no matter what happens."

"Always." Harry replied simply, and Lupin was struck more than he should have been by that single word. It reminded him of the interaction between Holmes and the teenager beside him, and a thought occurred to him.

"Are you and Holmes involved?" Harry was so startled by the out of place question that he took his eyes off the group, who had been halted by a few seventh years in their progression.

"What? Why would you ask that, and now of all times?" The boy questioned in confusion, but went on to answer honestly, "I guess we are in a way, haven't really had the opportunity to discuss it."

"Why now isn't important," Lupin dismissed, casting a quick deflection spell at a hex that had been shot at him from across the room. "I bet he'd be pretty upset if something happened to you though. That should give you an even firmer resolve to not act too rash- consider him."

"Remus, if I wasn't considering him I wouldn't be here." Harry responded in amusement, using Lupin's first name to stress his sincerity.

Of course, before the younger werewolf had appeared, Harry had used the man's name often. That had tapered off afterward to lower confusion. The older man shot the teenager a questioning look, but neither had time to go into the topic as at that moment the group of four that had been making their way over to them arrived.

"Well, looky, looky what I've found." A feminine voice broke the tense silence and one of the four stepped forward, throwing off their hood. Harry groaned in a why her? way as he recognized Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman smiled sweetly at him, eyes glinting in madness. "Kitty, kitty caught a mousie."

"Bellatrix. I see you're still just as bat shittingly out of your mind as you were when we last met." Harry acknowledged the woman conversationally, causing Bellatrix to sneer at him.

"Potty's mean, he's no fun." The woman crooned to the three standing with her. "Doesn't want to play."

"Well he's not gonna have a choice, is he dear?" The man speaking revealed himself to be Rodolphus Lestrange, the crazy bint's husband.

"Oh, good to meet you finally Rudolf, I've been wanting to ask you a question. Tell me, did you just stroll through mental asylums and pick the prettiest one?" The teen asked with a smirk, intentionally attempting to piss the two off. He knew Bellatrix was sloppy when mad and hoped that was true for her spouse as well.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Lupin whispered, worried. When the boy shot him a look that said just trust me, he decided to wait and see what the boy was up to- though he was still wary.

"Got a feisty one here, haven't we?" One of the last two hooded ones questioned, and Lupin immediately stood ramrod straight and blanched. "I do so like them to have fire."

"Back off, I'm gonna teach this one to hold his tongue." Rodolphus snarled, way beyond pissed by the insult Harry had made on himself and his wife. He advanced on Harry while Bellatrix, squealing in glee at the prospect of inflicting pain, shot straight for Lupin.

The two still hiding their identities chose to remain stationary for now, though Lupin looked as if he was still shaken over the one who'd spoken. Harry wondered who the guy was, obviously the werewolf had recognized him, and the man was so pale after hearing the voice that the teenager was concerned.

"How dare you insult myself and my wife, you little cockroach!" Rodolphus bellowed, "Crucio!"

"I don't think I can insult either of you more than you already insult yourselves." Harry quipped, the man turning purple from pure rage as the teenager rolled out of the way of the unforgivable.

Standing, Harry quickly shot a stinging hex at the man. He was pleased to see that Rodolphus' over-emotional attack had thrown off his reaction time, and the hex hit the man on his side. The Death Eater groaned in pain and clutched his injury with the hand not holding his wand, before trying another Crucio as the two opponents started circling each other. The teenager made sure to keep the two hooded enemies within sight at all times.

"Wow, you're imaginative! Is that all you're required to know in Voldemort's half-witted army?" The teenager rolled his eyes.

Dropping to his knees unexpectedly, the curse flew over his head and missed him by an inch. It was too close for Harry's comfort, but he was thankful all the same. The man opposing him didn't have time to react before the raven-haired boy shot the full body bind at him. As he fell to the ground, unable to move his limbs, Harry cast Expelliarmus for good measure.

A little ashamed of how disappointed he was over the ease with which he beat his opponent, Harry turned quickly to see if he could assist Lupin. The man and Bellatrix were squared off, moving quickly around each other in both defensive and offensive positions. They were firing off spells so quickly at each other that the boy almost couldn't catch what each individual one was before the battle progressed onward.

When a killing curse skimmed much too close to the man for Harry's comfort, the boy started forward to assist him. He had only taken three steps in their direction before one of the shrouded figures stepped in front of him. Harry growled in frustration at the Death Eater, realizing it was one of the two who so far hadn't really involved themselves in this fight.

"Impressive, though you know two on one is no fair- but don't worry," The man from before, who had caused the reaction from Lupin, said with amusement as he threw back his hood. Fenrir Greyback stood staring at Harry with a smirk. "It'll be my pleasure to entertain you, boy."

"You don't scare me, Greyback." Harry glared at the scarred man, gripping his wand tightly. "It's not a full moon, right now you're just a psycho like the others. I'm well versed in dealing with psychopaths."

"Is that so?" The man asked, grinning maliciously. "I wonder if you'd still be so brave when facing my true self?"

"Can't transform without the moon, so I guess we'll never know will we?" The teenager bit out. Truthfully, Greyback scared the shit out of him. He'd heard too many horror stories about the man and he wasn't stupid. Harry knew he was staring at one of the most dangerous beings alive.

"It's amazing what magic can accomplish, isn't it?" Greyback responded ominously before inhaling deeply and giving Harry an interested look. "Tell me, why is my Remus' smell all over you, boy?"

Harry spluttered in confusion at the question, taken aback.

"W-what are you taking about?" He asked nervously, unable to hide the emotion from his voice.

"I remember the smell of everyone I bless with the moon's gift," The scarred man responded, "Remus was one of my favorites- and you reek of him. Tell me, are you... in love with him?"

Greyback spat the words 'in love' like they were distasteful on his tongue, and Harry didn't dare respond. He glanced over the man's shoulder and found to his relief that Lupin was gaining the upper hand in his duel with the insane woman. When he looked back at the werewolf blocking his path, the smirk on his face said he'd gotten an answer- though the teenager had no idea how, or what.

"Oh this is too good." Greyback said with a chuckle, advancing on Harry slowly. The teen couldn't help but take a step back. "I haven't decided what I shall do with you yet, but I intend to give my favorite a gift. Either you'll be a bloody corpse on the floor by the end of this, or one who thrives with the moon. Maybe I should ask your opinion on the subject?"

"I'd prefer neither, thanks."

Harry took another step back, worried as he caught the maniacal gleam in the scarred man's eyes. He started and grew still when he realized that the man's features were changing- hair was beginning to grow out on all of the skin exposed to Harry's vision, and his teeth and ears had begun to get longer, becoming pointed. Harry was struck dumb for several precious moments, wondering how the bloody hell is he changing?

"Got himself an amusing one, didn't he?" Greyback questioned with a sneer.

The teen caught a small glimpse of what he assumed to be a ring placed on the middle finger of the werewolf's right hand, glowing brightly a crimson red where the stone would have been, before Greyback's entire body contorted and folded in, and then within seconds the man was no longer standing in front of Harry- a massive, feral looking and fully transformed gray werewolf was.

The raven-haired teen was still standing stock-still, staring stunned at the beast before him. How am I supposed to fight a massive werewolf? It wasn't until a strangled shout broke him out of his daze that he realized Greyback had lunged for his throat.

"Harry!"

Harry grew wide-eyed and jumped into action, throwing himself to the side to avoid the werewolf. He came down hard on his elbow as he landed on the stone floor, pain exploding at the impact. He didn't have time to dwell on it, as Greyback was coming at him again with lightning fast speed and reflex.

The teen pushed himself quickly out of the way, casting the first spell that came to mind- a first level stunner that had absolutely no effect on the magical beast. As soon as he had moved he realized that his left arm was going to be useless for anything physical, he'd either sprained or broken the elbow from the impact. Greyback let out a feral growl, curling back his lip as if he were attempting to scowl at the boy.

I can't keep dodging, he'll get me eventually. I need to think, what am I going to do? What can I do? The boy wondered to himself as the werewolf pounced at him again. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite quick enough to dodge this attack completely.

Harry's wand was knocked out of his hand by the massive body of the wolf, and he nearly lost his balance at the force of the collision to his side. He felt pain and knew he'd be bruised there later- badly. As Greyback rounded for another attack, teeth bared, Harry felt someone grab him roughly and he was promptly pushed back. Lupin stood in front of him defensively, shooting a powerful incendio directly at the beast.

Greyback looked a little frantic when he saw the fire and retreated a few steps away, snarling at Lupin. To Harry's surprise, the man in front of him snarled right back at his creator, leveling a fierce glare at the other werewolf. The teenager had never seen an expression so intense on the Defense Professor's face before.

"Oh, puppy, you can't just run off when we're right in the middle of a game." Bellatrix's voice startled Harry, who hadn't taken the time to consider what may have happened to her if Lupin was with him. "I thought we were having fun, what's so interesting about watching Fenrir have a snack?"

"That thing is not going to touch Harry again." Lupin growled at her, slowly moving and positioning himself and Harry so that their backs faced the wall. With fear, the emerald-eyed boy realized that Lupin was going to have to fight them both off by himself because Harry didn't have his wand.

"Remus... I don't know where my wand is." The teen whispered worriedly, pressing closer to the man so he could hear him properly. "There's no way you can take on both of them on your own."

"Harry, please listen to what I'm about to say and don't argue. We might both make it." Lupin responded just as quietly, keeping his eyes glued to both of the enemies in front of them. "When I attack, I'll be drawing both their attention. I need you to get to the fireplace and get out of here."

"There's no way-" Harry began frantically, grabbing the man's arm in a vice grip as if it would glue him to his side.

"Bored now." Bellatrix whined, and all of their attention was drawn to Greyback as he started making odd noises like he was speaking. The woman listened intently, tilting her head this way and that before a big grin split her face. "Ooh, Fenni just told me the most amusing news!"

Harry and Lupin said nothing, merely looked at the woman as if she'd suddenly invented a whole new level of crazy. She started clapping her hands, obviously excited as Greyback started stalking around in what appeared to be an impatient, aimless pattern.

"Says he's going to give you a present, puppy." Bellatrix told Lupin in a mock-whisper, as if it were a secret. "Don't you like presents?"

"I don't like anything to do with that monster. I will accept nothing from him but his death." Lupin said coldly, eyes darting between the two. Harry's grip tightened on the man's arm as it dawned on him what the bat-shit crazy woman was talking about.

"Oh, but you'll like this one, I'm sure." Bellatrix told him as she slowly stepped nearer to the pair, body swaying like she was dancing to soundless music. "Says he smells like you, says he loves you."

Okay, Harry thought, maybe she does speak werewolf. Or perhaps crazy is just a universal language to all psychopaths? But... do I love Remus?

"What in Merlin's name are you rambling about?" Lupin snapped, staring at the woman in irritation.

"Aww, don't you love him too puppy?" The woman asked, tilting her head and glancing behind Lupin for a second at Harry, then returning her gaze to the man. "Too bad for him, he's going to be your gift anyway. It's like Christmas! Aren't you excited?"

Harry realized a moment too late that while both he and Lupin had been paying attention to Bellatrix, Greyback had been maneuvering closer to them, angling himself for a perfect shot at the teenager. The bitch had been a distraction and it had worked.

 _Shit._ Was all Harry managed to think before he was tackled to the ground, several feet away from Lupin and where he'd originally been standing. Immediately, Lupin jumped into action and lifted his wand, a curse on the tip of his tongue before he froze abruptly. He looked completely shattered.

That's when Harry realized that he must be in shock, because he certainly didn't _feel_ the teeth of the werewolf that were sunk into his upper left arm.

 


	18. 'W-T-F Mate?'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got this title name from an old online video that used to make me literally lmfao. It was called The End of The World and used to be on albinoblacksheep, you can probably still locate it somewhere on youtube.
> 
> If you look throughout this fic there are little hidden nods at other things everywhere. Like a few chapters ago I totally quoted Jack Sparrow.
> 
> Anywho. Carry on. (my wayward... sorry.)

 

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

The four teenagers were gaining on the little brown creature, who was running desperately in a fearful attempt to evade them. The shaggy-black haired boy cast a quick charm, nailing the creature and causing it to freeze in motion where it stood.

The bespectacled teen approached the little creature slowly, turning back to his friends with an amused look on his face. "What shall we do with our friend here?"

The sandy-haired teenager leveled a contemplative look at the creature, and the other two shared a quick grin. "We've got it!"

"Eh?" The bespectacled boy questioned. Once they had explained the plan, the four went about it with gusto.

The creature wasn't found until two days later by a group of wizards looking into the land for development- tied like a flag for all to see at the top of a twenty-five foot pole.

"And that's how we came to name a town!" James told Lily proudly, fondly reminiscing the boys' summer between third and fourth year. The girl scowled at him.

"Malfoy is a prat, but did he really deserve all that? Turning him into an otter and humiliating him?"

"Of course he did! He told Peter that his mother was a toad licker!" James cried in outrage.

Lilly sighed and rolled her eyes at the boy, "Even so, I don't think you can take claim for a name a bunch of land developers gave to a new town. They named it, not you lot."

"Yes, well, if it hadn't been for our brilliant gag they never would have thought of it in the first place. So we did name it." James returned.

"James Potter, you _did not name_ Ottery St. Catchpole!"

* * *

Present Time

* * *

"Puppy's gonna have a playmate." Bellatrix giggled, spinning in a circle. Lupin was shocked, so much so that it took him several moments to snap out of it.

During that time, Greyback had held firm on Harry's flesh as if he were trying to savor the moment. The teenager was just laying sprawled on the floor, eyes staring up at the stormy ceiling of the Great Hall, looking vacant. As Bellatrix started dancing around in her happiness, she was promptly blasted into the wall with so much force that she crumbled, unconscious, to the floor after.

Reality came back into sharp focus for Lupin when this happened, and he turned his head to see Snape standing nearby, wand drawn and a severe expression on his face. He glared daggers at the Defense professor as he cast a body-bind on Bellatrix and accio'd her wand. Greyback had finally released Harry but the boy didn't move, and when the werewolf realized that there were two powerful wizards directing all of their attention toward him he bared his teeth threateningly and put a sharply-clawed paw on the teenager's throat.

Blood was dripping down the gray werewolf's teeth, over his muzzle to pool on the floor. Harry's entire left side was soaked in blood. It was the sight of those two things that made something snap inside Lupin, who moved so quickly Greyback didn't have a chance to react. The man slammed into the wolf, throwing him with force away from Harry. The two rolled several feet before stopping.

Harry still didn't move, and Snape quickly approached the boy to see what the extent of the damage that had been done was. He checked the boy over, cast a stabilizing spell on the teen's arm to keep it from bleeding out any more, and realized after that was done that the boy seemed to be in a deep state of shock. No matter what the Potions professor tried, he couldn't seem to snap the raven-haired teenager out of it. Finally, exasperated, Snape pulled a potion out of his cloak and poured it down the boy's throat, making him swallow it.

Lupin, meanwhile, had temporarily gone out of his mind with rage and was trying to rip Greyback apart with his bare hands. What's the worst he could do? Bite him? The transformed werewolf let out a threatening growl as he furiously began slashing Lupin with his claws, managing to catch the man on the chest and inflict several deep gashes.

The Defense professor staggered for a moment, before regaining his senses and ignoring the injury. He moved swiftly around Greyback, wrapping his arms around the werewolf's neck and squeezing with all his force.

Greyback emitted a gurgled, keening sound as he was being strangled. He thrashed his entire body, trying to dislodge the grip and get the man off of him, but Lupin held firm. The transformed werewolf was starting to get hazy vision as oxygen was deprived, and he stalked backwards slowly taking Lupin with him. After a few moments of movement, and right when black dots started dancing at the edges of his vision, the werewolf flung himself and the man abruptly backwards, smashing into the wall.

The impact jarred Lupin enough to loosen his hold, and quickly the gray wolf escaped. The man leaned on the stone, momentarily dazed from the force of hitting the wall and Greyback caught his breath. Recovering quicker than the man before him, he swiftly prepared to attack while the other was still out of it.

During all of this, the potion that Snape had given Harry was running its course hastily. It started out as a minor tingling in the teenager's fingertips, before piles of energy quickly flooded through the rest of his system. The jolt of the feeling finally managed to snap the boy from his shock, and he jerked into awareness. Of all the things he might've expected to see upon coming to, Snape leaning over him with a sneer was not among them.

"Just had to give in to your lust for adventure, didn't you Potter?" The Potions professor asked with a scowl as Harry carefully sat up, wondering why his arm wasn't hurting him.

Ignoring the snarky man, Harry took stock of his injury. He saw that his robes were ripped and torn, his sleeve only half attached to the garment. Crimson blood covered his entire side, looking shiny and black against the darkness of his clothes. With the damage done to his robes, he could clearly see the injury Greyback had inflicted upon him. It was horrible, his skin was shredded and he could see his bone due to how deeply the u-shaped wound went.

Frowning in confusion as he noticed that the bite mark wasn't bleeding, he looked at Snape questioningly. The professor rolled his eyes at the boy as if he were an idiot.

"I cast a stasis spell on the injury, Potter, lest you bleed to death before Lupin or I can get you out of here." At the mention of Lupin, Harry suddenly realized that the man was no where to be seen and his head shot up, eyes frantically searching for the man.

The second he caught sight of him, Harry was on his feet. Greyback was charging at the Defense professor, who was standing- leaning- against the wall. As he started forward, a hand on his shoulder halted him. He threw a threatening glare at the Potions professor.

"Your wand, Potter." Snape drawled, holding the object out to the boy who took it with gratitude. "Do try not to die. It would be inconvenient."

Not responding to the snide man, Harry burst into action and shot over to Lupin, standing in front of the man protectively as the wolf charged. Lupin emitted a protest, which the teen also chose to ignore as he quickly tried to formulate a plan. He glanced up, thinking fast, and cast a severing charm.

The Slytherin banner that usually hung over the house's table was released from its bindings, falling to land over top Greyback. The gray werewolf stopped abruptly and began thrashing with the tapestry in an attempt to free himself. Harry didn't allow this, and shot the most powerful incendio he had ever cast at the material. It went up in flames like a bonfire, the trapped werewolf underneath.

"That was really quick thinking, Harry." Lupin praised softly, stepping out from behind the boy. He studied the wound on the teenager's arm, before grimacing sadly. "I believe we should go, before anyone else tries to kill us."

Harry nodded silently, giving the man a look that he couldn't place. The two made their way cautiously toward the fireplace which had been vacated once all of the students who were leaving had made it out. When they arrived, Lupin grabbed a handful of powder and Harry turned for one last look at the room before they left.

The students who had chosen to stay and fight were scattered around the room, battling against the Death Eaters valiantly. Some had fallen, bodies strewn on the floor, both teenager and Death Eater alike. Several professors were dotted around the space, attacking and defending themselves and the students. Harry caught Snape's eye, the man had rejoined the fray, and nodded his thanks. The Potions Master returned the nod, before giving his full attention to the fight.

The teenager could see Dumbledore positioned near what used to be the location of the Hufflepuff table. The aged wizard was squared off against a group of Death Eaters, and among them Harry could make out a sickly pale, bald head. He let his gaze rest on the figure, trying to catch a few more details and determine if the person was who he thought it was. Only a few seconds went by before the figure turned, as if sensing Harry's eyes on him, and locked blood red eyes on the boy.

Voldemort gave the boy a viscous look, before taking in the fact that Harry was standing at the fireplace. Quickly, he shouted out to his minions.

"The boy! He's escaping, capture him!"

Several of his servants mobilized, and Lupin wrapped his arm abruptly around Harry's shoulders before pulling them both into the hearth. Having thrown down the floo powder already, he shouted out their destination and they were off. The last thing Harry saw as the image of the Great Hall swirled and fell away were blood red eyes.

* * *

Remus was agitated. He had awoken several hours ago to Harry and his older self still not having arrived yet, and the more seconds passed the more worried he was growing. He, Ron, Hermione and Sirius were staked out in the sitting room which was near the front door, waiting for it to open and the two people to walk in.

There was an Order meeting going on in the kitchen, and so the sitting room was mostly vacated at this point. There were only three people occupying the room with the four- Ginny and two people Remus had never met.

"S'not like you'd let anythin' happen to him, ya know." Sirius sloshed in what Remus assumed was supposed to be a reassuring tone, but came out rather garbled. The teen glared at the man who had, at some time while he was asleep, gotten a hold of a bottle of firewhiskey and was beyond pissed at this point.

"Shut up, Sirius," Remus demanded- no way was he letting his friend spill his secret while drunk. "Or I'll tell everyone about the Tutu Tragedy."

"Not with tha' bowlin' ball, you promised." Sirius whined, leaning toward Ron who was sitting next to him on the couch. The red-head looked at the man and blinked, before grabbing the bottle and downing some of the fiery liquid. He had been sharing the bottle with Sirius and was pretty wasted as well.

"I'll even tell them about what really happened with the spork if you don't stay quiet." The werewolf returned and Sirius immediately closed his mouth.

"You really shouldn't worry so much Remus," Hermione said to him, though her eyes were focused on Ron with disdain. "You know he won't let him get hurt."

"I wonder why I sometimes get the feeling that I've missed something." Ginny mumbled sarcastically, and everyone ignored her.

"Ya! Minny's right," Ron agreed enthusiastically, nodding his head so hard Remus was surprised it didn't fall off. "Harry can't die anyway."

"And why is that?" Remus asked, amused despite himself.

"'Cause he's, like, the main character of the story! Destined to defeat the evil bad dude! That's why Harry can't die... or," Ron amended with a hiccup, "not stay dead at least."

"Well there are worse things than death, you know." Sirius told the red-head conversationally, leaning closer. "He could be tortured, he could be starved, he-"

"Could get a ten foot long essay from Snape?" The red-head added helpfully.

"EXACTLY!" Sirius bellowed, pointing at the teenager and accidentally dotting his eye. Ron went down, falling off the couch and holding his eye.

Remus laughed despite his mood and Hermione even cracked a grin at the antics. Sirius preened proudly as if it had been his intention all along to poke out Ron's eye, and Ron just drooled, having passed out shortly after hitting the floor.

"Hey! I hear something!" Ginny said, excited.

Everyone immediately was alert, Sirius almost overbalancing when he straightened and joining the teenager on the floor. The sitting room was positioned near the front door, with an open archway. The occupants of the room had a clear view of the door as the knob twisted, and it flung open.

In walked the two that everyone had been waiting for- bloody and looking exhausted. Remus set upon Harry in an instant, checking him over and asking if he was alright. His older self stood behind them a few feet, closing the door and looking defeated. Remus saw the way Harry was babying his elbow, and found the wound on his bicep.

When he leaned close to get a good look at the injury, he caught a smell that made his blood run like ice. He pulled the fabric of the robes away hastily and stared in horror at what he found. Harry, who had been attempting to reassure the teenager that he was alright, noticed immediately when he stiffened and the color drained from his face.

"Oh, yeah... that." Harry mumbled awkwardly, not looking at Remus. He focused his gaze on the wall behind him instead.

"Oh what?" Hermione questioned as she walked up to the pair, peering around Remus to take in the injury. It was a U shaped deep wound, but the girl didn't see anything else off about it. It seemed to be stable. "What is it?"

Neither Remus or Harry replied, but the girl's approach had knocked the teenage werewolf out of his daze and he rounded suddenly on his future self. Furious, he walked up to the man who was a foot taller than him and gave him a vicious glare.

"Just where the hell do you get off allowing Greyback anywhere near Harry?!" Remus all but screamed at his older self, enraged. He couldn't believe his future self had let this happen to the person he loved.

"You're right," Lupin agreed monotonously. "I should have done more to make sure Harry was protected."

"No!" Harry disagreed sharply, standing between the two werewolves. He gave the teenager an imploring look, "Remus, it wasn't his fault. We were attacked by Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. Greyback attacked me when he was busy fighting off Bellatrix. There was nothing he could have done."

"Harry, don't try and excuse him." Remus said, rolling his eyes and leveling a scowl at Lupin. "You're going to honestly try to tell me you didn't know he was there until he attacked Harry?!"

"No," Lupin responded with a guilty frown, not meeting the teenager's gaze. "I knew he was there. I shouldn't have let Greyback out of my sight at all."

"Damn fucking right you shouldn't have!" Remus thundered, fists clenched to restrain himself from doing anything violent against his older counterpart. "Look what that bastard's done to Harry!"

After having caught up a bit throughout the exchange, Hermione suddenly gasped when she finally understood what this was about- Fenrir Greyback had bittenHarry. From the look on Sirius' face he had begun to understand as well. Ginny was just staring in confusion, not able to comprehend any of the dialogue without context.

"Oh, Merlin, no... Harry." Sirius whispered, eyes wide. Hermione touched her friend's shoulder, only to have her hand shrugged off.

"It's not like I'm dead." Harry shot at them.

Lupin was staring at the teen who had been tearing him a new one, during the exchange, having finally caught on that something wasn't adding up with this conversation. Sure, he knew that the teenager was a werewolf- he could smell that scent that all infected had- but how was it that he knew so much?

"Just how is it, exactly, that you know of Greyback?" He questioned the teenager slowly, "Enough to even recognize his scent?"

"Professor Lupin, maybe-" Hermione started quickly in an attempt to distract the man from questioning Remus further. She was cut off by the arrival of Moody, who had been in the Order meeting thus far.

"Ah, there you two are. I kept telling those idiots not to worry- Harry knows what's what. Constant vigilance!" Moody stalked down the hallway towards them, calling out.

"Moody." Lupin greeted the limping man with a simple head nod, moving out from behind Harry to stand near Sirius. He gave the raven-haired teen a concerned look, knowing that he was in need of medical attention. Harry just shook his head, indicating he was alright thus far. Sirius was staring between the two contemplatively- or, as contemplative as Sirius could be while smashed.

"Lupin, good to see you in one piece." Moody greeted before rounding on Remus, who he'd never seen before. His magical eye was spinning over every inch of the boy, and he frowned severely. "And who's this?"

"Oh, this is Remus. He's a very good friend." Harry hurried to answer, seeing the look on the man's face and not wanting him to give the teenage werewolf any third degree. Sirius suddenly snorted a laugh when Harry said good friend and Remus shot him a glare.

Moody didn't respond for a long moment, staring at the teenager. He could see through his magical eye that there was a faint silver shimmer surrounding the boy and he knew it was a glamour. His frown deepened, and he withdrew his wand. Harry and Remus stiffened immediately at the sight.

"You've got magic about you boy!" Moody declared, flicking his wand and uttering the counter charm, dispelling the glamour.

"Moody!" Harry shouted.

"No!" Hermione gasped.

"Don't!" Remus demanded desperately, but it was too late.

The damage had been done, and Remus was now standing in front of them looking exactly like himself. He heard Ginny gasp, Sirius groaned, Hermione sighed in defeat. Harry grabbed the teen's shoulder in support. They both turned to look at Lupin, who was devoid of all color when he took in the sight of his younger self.

"What... the ever loving fuck?" Lupin exclaimed in shock.

"Well..." Sirius said dramatically, poking his friend "It always did bug you not knowing what happened to you all those years ago."

Lupin said nothing, beginning to feel odd. He gasped inaudibly when what felt like a band burst in his mind, and pools of memory began flooding back to him. He locked eyes with Harry briefly before he crumbled, unconscious from the overload in his brain.

Harry cast a quick cushioning charm that prevented the man from taking any damage when he made impact with the floor. Sirius suddenly looked much too sober for the amount of alcohol he had consumed, and rounded on Moody with a scowl.

"You ought not go messing with magic you don't know the reason for!"

"I was merely being sure that the kid wasn't some death eater infiltrating our ranks." The man said in a gruff voice, "Now we know, and I'm off."

No one said a word as Moody pushed past them and exited the house. When the door closed, Hermione went toward Sirius and Lupin and levitated the latter man with a charm.

"We should get him to his room. Who knows what this is going to do to him." The girl said with a frustrated sigh.

"You don't think it's caused any damage, do you?" Harry asked, worried. Remus gave him a look, wondering why it seemed like his friend was suddenly a whole lot more attached to his older self. Harry chose to ignore that look for now.

"I really don't know. I don't think we will know until we can speak to Dumbledore about what kind of memory charm was used on him." Hermione responded, "I'm going to go make him comfortable."

"I'll help you." Sirius said, and followed the girl as she trudged up the stairs.

Ginny was staring at the two boys with a wide-eyed expression, having understood enough of the vague conversation to piece together who Remus was. Harry caught her look and scowled.

"Oh, Merlin's balls Ginny, why are you out here anyway? Shouldn't you be with your Mum?" He asked, unkindly. He knew the girl had a crush on him and he was in no mood for being gentle with her feelings this evening.

"I... was just worried about you." Ginny responded, wringing her hands together nervously. "When you didn't come back with us, I was sure-"

"Well, I'm fine." Harry snapped at her. Her face fell and tears began to brim in her eyes, but with everything going on the emerald-eyed boy honestly couldn't find it in him to give a damn. Remus looked at him questioningly, having never known Harry to be deliberately cruel to anyone.

"Harry, Remus, Miss Weasley." A voice broke the awkward silence that had fallen, and the three looked up to see Dumbledore approaching them. He looked a bit haggard, understandable considering the events of the day.

"Professor Dumbledore." Harry greeted, "I'm relieved to see you're alright."

"Indeed, as am I to see you in good health my boy." The headmaster paused and looked at Harry's arm, then at Remus' current lack of glamour. "Miss Weasley, would you please excuse us? Boys, if you will follow me into the kitchen. There are several things we need to discuss."

The males nodded in assent and followed Dumbledore to the aforementioned room, while Ginny sniffed and disappeared up the stairs. When the three entered the kitchen, they found a number of people still sitting at the table who hadn't left after the Order meeting. Tonks, Snape, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey all turned to look at them. Tonks' eyes widened when she saw Remus, being the only one in the room still unaware as to who he was.

"Excuse me, but you look an awful lot like..." Tonks started, trailing off as she gazed at Remus. His eye twitched as it was prone to do under such intense scrutiny.

"Lupin, yes, we know." Snape drawled. "The boy is Lupin, somehow he came to be here in this time. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, why is the boy not wearing his glamour?"

"Moody dispelled it, in front of Remus' older self and Ginny." Harry stated as he, the teenage werewolf and Dumbledore took seats at the table. Dumbledore gave them a concerned look.

"What happened when Professor Lupin saw him?"

"He... passed out." The emerald-eyed teenager said with a sigh, "Hermione and Sirius took him to his room."

"Oh, dear." Dumbledore responded. Harry winced- it was never good when the headmaster uttered 'Oh dear' like that. Ever.

"What? Is something going to happen to him?" Harry asked anxiously. Remus grabbed his hand under the table, an attempt to comfort the teen.

"I'm not sure, my boy." The headmaster said slowly, thinking. Cold dread started to fill Harry- Dumbledore always knew things, there was nothing he didn't know! "This is an unprecedented event, Harry. I cannot be sure what will happen, only time will tell."

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it right now." Remus finally spoke, squeezing Harry's hand. He was relieved when the raven-haired boy returned the gesture. "What about Harry? He was bitten by Greyback."

"Yes, Severus has informed me of the horrible event." Dumbledore sighed gravely. "I wish I could give you a potion and make it all better, but no such concoction exists. The truth is, you've got a small chance of not turning from being bitten... but it is only about two percent. Really, we won't know what will happen and if the infection has taken hold of you until the full moon."

Harry stared at his headmaster, absorbing the words. The way the man sounded and his defeated expression, along with his words, led the teenager to believe that there wasn't really much hope for him. Remus grew rigid beside him, and now it was Harry's turn to squeeze his hand in reassurance. Whatever happens, Harry thought to himself, I won't regret it. Who knows what would have happened to the older Remus had I not been there?

"It has been a long day, and I expect you both require some rest. Madam Pomfrey, if you will tend to Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore questioned politely and the healer nodded in agreement, "I am going to check on the other Mr. Lupin before seeing to some business. We will conduct a meeting in the morning to discuss today's events and our plans from here on. Please rest once you are sorted out, boys."

With nods of agreement, the two teenagers watched as Dumbledore vacated the room, McGonagall following him. Snape made an excuse and left immediately afterward, while Tonks sat at the table and idly toyed with her teacup as the healer went about assessing and healing what she could for Harry. The woman sighed when she came upon the bite.

"I cannot do much besides cauterize it so it will no longer bleed out. It's a wound from a magical creature, so it will be resistant to any healing magic. That is why most who are attacked by werewolves bear such horrible scars." Harry simply nodded and the healer went about cauterizing the wound. It hurt like a thousand hells, but the raven-haired teen made it through with only a grimace of pain.

Once Pomfrey had finished she gave Harry a potion to take before he went to bed, and promptly said her good-nights to everyone. After the door closed behind her, Tonks finally broke her silence.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Harry." She said, not looking up from her tea which had to be cold by now.

"I don't know why everyone insists on acting like this is some sort of death sentence." The teenager grumbled.

"You don't understand," Remus told him in a depressed tone, "It may not be a death sentence but it is crippling to your life. You will be severely limited in your choice of career, social circle- hell you'll be ridiculed by most of the wizarding population if you end up becoming a werewolf."

Harry didn't respond, looking down at their joined hands in thought. He rubbed his thumb over the back of Remus' hand in soothing circles almost absentmindedly, and was immediately interested when he noticed the slight shiver it drew out of the other boy. Tonks was watching them both contemplatively.

"You're very lucky you know, Harry." She told the boy, snapping his attention back to her. He gave her a questioning look and she laughed. "I almost thought about getting a hold of that Remus from this time, he is very delicious you know, but after seeing the way this one looks at you... I don't think I'd stand a chance next to you."

Both boys blushed at her words and that caused the auror to laugh. She gave them a wink as she got up from her chair and put her cup in the sink. Harry and Remus looked at each other, a little embarrassed.

"I think it's about time we all get some rest, don't you?" The auror asked with a yawn.

Harry had been about to suggest the same thing, and nodded quickly at her words. He was eager to get Remus alone so they could have the conversation that had been postponed earlier in the day.

With polite bids of good night, the three headed off to their rooms to get rest before the meeting in the morning. Harry and Remus trekked to the room they had shared on the last visit, the former wondering if Ron was taking up residence in his usual bed. As they entered the bedroom and the red-head was no where to be found, Harry turned to Remus.

"Where's Ron?" The boy hadn't noticed the red-head sprawled in the sitting room upon entering the house, the commotion had distracted him.

"He and Sirius decided that the best way to deal with everything going on was to raid the liquor cabinet. He was passed out drunk in the sitting room, last I saw."

Harry made a noise of amusement at that before he moved toward the bed that had been his for so many years. He was startled when Remus suddenly grabbed his arm and whirred him around, pinning him with a kiss that was so intense that for several long moments Harry wasn't sure which direction was up or down. The pleased groan he emitted only urged Remus on.

When the two finally dragged themselves away from each other, in need of oxygen, Harry gave Remus a flushed, puzzled look. The sandy-haired teen kept his arms firmly circled around Harry's back, refusing to part from the contact quite yet.

"Not that that wasn't amazing and all," Harry murmured in amusement, the hand that had found its way to Remus' hair during the kiss slowly moving to the teen's jaw and fingers lightly caressing the skin there. "But what was that for?"

"I was very worried. You really shouldn't worry me like that." Remus responded lowly, leaning his head against Harry's. The emerald-eyed teen grinned and hugged the other boy tighter.

"Or maybe if that's the reaction I can expect, I should worry you more often. Perhaps even several times in a day."

Remus said nothing to that, merely lowered his head and buried his face in Harry's left shoulder. He could still smell the scent of Greyback all over the other teen, and his instincts were short circuiting his brain. He began growling in a low timbre, barely noise at all, as the scent of the man who had attacked Harry and the dried blood began to fill his senses.

Harry could hear the barely there noise and looked at Remus in concern. His arms tightened around his friend and he cleared his throat questioningly. The other teen ignored him, and he could feel the collar of his robe being pushed aside and small, gentle caresses ran along the bare skin of his shoulder. Suddenly, it was Harry's brain that felt fried as he took in the sensations.

The sandy-haired teen was murmuring something softly as he continued to trail small kisses over the emerald-eyed boy's shoulder and collarbone. It took Harry several moments to figure out what it was that was being said, and when he did his fingers clutched tightly in Remus' robes.

"Mine."

The raven-haired boy suddenly realized that it was Remus' wolf instincts he was dealing with and not the rational teenager he'd come to know and care about. He was nervous, but doubted that Remus would hurt him- even so, he planned to remain as calm and compliant as possible until his friend caught a hold of himself.

Remus wasn't fairing so well on regaining control, all he could think about was how that monster had gotten at his Harry. That the scent of that man was taking over the usual pleasant smell of his Harry. When he felt Harry stiffen momentarily before completely relaxing against him, every last ounce of his self control escaped him and his teeth sunk into the flesh of Harry's collarbone.

The sudden sound of Harry's pained gasp brought reality crashing back to him like a slap in the face, and he roughly pushed away from the other teen. Harry was staring at him, open-mouthed and a bit dazed. Remus turned his eyes away and stared at the floor, balling his hands into fists.

"Oh shit, what have I done?"

"...What did you do, Remus?" Harry asked thickly, allowing himself to finally make it to his bed and sit. Things were starting to feel weird around him, like suddenly everything was much more vibrant. Remus almost seemed to glow.

"I think I just... I mean, I might have-" Remus paused, running a hand through his hair and finally turning to look at Harry. His breath caught when he took in the way Harry seemed to be surrounded by a dim light. It took him several moments to continue. "I just claimed you as my mate, Harry."

"What does that..." Harry swallowed, pausing when the glowing seemed to flare before fading away completely, and tried again, "What does that mean?"

"It doesn't mean we'll be forced to love each other, nothing like that..." Remus hurried to explain when he saw the slightly panicked look on Harry's face, "It just means that we'll be more aware of the other. That we'll protect each other and-"

"But what if I think I might already love you?" Harry asked quietly. Remus was so stunned by the question he didn't know what to say.

"Harry..."

Harry, bemused by the entirety of the events that day and night, waved his hand to heed off the issue. He didn't want to pressure Remus in to saying anything he wasn't ready to say, and he needed time to wrap his head around all of this. The sandy-haired teenager sighed as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders and finally came to sit next to Harry on the bed.

They both fell into silence for a long while after that, both lost in heavy thoughts. Remus was thinking about Harry's almost-confession, and he wanted to reciprocate so badly it almost physically hurt. Now that he had time to really think about it, though, he decided that telling the other boy how he felt wouldn't be fair to Harry or his older self. It was they who would have to deal with all of this once Remus left.

He couldn't help feeling like a heel for marking Harry in the first place- that hadn't been his intention, but those scents had overloaded his brain to the point that he couldn't think straight. He wasn't going to tell Harry that it would mean that for the rest of Remus' life, Harry's safety would come before everything. There would be nothing short of death stopping him from protecting the other boy, because a werewolf claiming someone as his mate meant that for the rest of their lives that person was their's to protect.

"I can't believe I've been bitten twice in one day, I know I'm tasty but damn." Harry said suddenly, drawing Remus' attention back to him. The amber-eyed teen chuckled hollowly. "Remus, tell me again exactly what this mate thing is about."

"It just means... you'll be more resistant to some types of magic from now on, and we will both have an, for lack of better word, instinct telling us whenever the other one is harmed. We'll have a connection that will make us very close, but it doesn't have to be romantic. You do have a choice in that." Remus explained with a heavy sigh.

"I've already made my choice." Harry responded softly, giving Remus a look so intense that the werewolf was devoid of all thoughts for several moments.

As soon as Remus opened his mouth to question the other boy, the teen descended on him and wrapped him in his arms. Harry's mouth immediately searched out the amber-eyed boy's and left a scorching kiss. Tongues danced, teeth nibbled, and it was all either boy could do to contain themselves. Finally, pulling apart after what felt like forever and yet not long enough, both boys stared at each other with flushed faces and gasping breath.

"I love you, remember?" Harry questioned with a grin, and Remus grabbed him again for another kiss that left both bodies heated and humming with delight.

 


	19. Real Emotion

Harry and Remus were up early the next morning, before many of the house's occupants had gotten out of bed. The two had fallen asleep talking the night before, Harry reassuring the amber-eyed teen that he wasn't angry about the whole mate thing repeatedly before the wolf had finally backed off the subject. The emerald-eyed teen had went on to tell Remus some more details about his life and growing up with the Dursley's, to which the other boy had listened avidly and provided insightful comments. They had conversed well past midnight and neither remembered falling asleep.

Currently they were seated with their backs resting against the headboard of the bed they had slept in, side by side and shoulders touching. They were enjoying the quiet of the early morning and spending a small amount of time just relaxing together before the day set in and they had to face everything.

Remus kept casting odd glances at Harry while they sat in companionable silence, and finally the emerald-eyed teen huffed and pinned him with a look. The sandy-haired teenager looked sheepish at being caught.

"What is it, Remus?" Harry asked, leaning his head against the other boy's shoulder with a content smile.

"Oh, I just..." Remus paused, considering his words and enjoying the closeness between them. "What is going on with you concerning the older me? It's just a little odd that you are suddenly so much more... protective of him."

Harry mumbled something and turned his face to leave a kiss against the other boy's neck. The amber-eyed boy felt sparks ignite at the touch, but his brain stayed focused on the question. It was a puzzle he wanted the answer to. Amused, he watched as Harry huffed indignantly when Remus didn't rise to the bait.

"Nothing is 'going on,'" Harry finally said, burying his face in his mate's neck. The wolf wrapped his arms around him and hugged him close.

"You're not getting out of it that easily," Remus responded when the other boy didn't offer up any more information. He poked Harry in the side and had to choke down a snicker when the boy nearly jumped out of his skin. "I want to know why you felt the need to stay behind. What is it?"

"I just realized something," Harry said against the other boy's neck, grinning. "We don't have to discuss whether or not we're dating now, since we're mates and all."

"It's not really the same thing." Remus returned, looking at the boy in his arms with affection. "And stop trying to change the subject."

"What do you mean 'it's not the same thing'?" The raven-haired boy questioned, frowning. He still didn't entirely understand this mate situation. Remus chuckled at his confusion.

"I told you," He began in a tone that Harry immediately recognized as Lupin's lecture voice. "Being a werewolf's mate does not have to be romantic. I think it's constructed that way so that, should a werewolf ever claim an unwilling mate, they have the option to refute a romantic relationship."

"Well, then what is it for exactly?" Harry asked, secretly pleased that he'd managed to drag his mate away from the conversation they had been having about Lupin and honestly curious about the new topic.

"The bare bones of it is just that it marks you as theirs," Remus responded, the topic change not lost on him. He leaned down and pressed a kiss against the other teen's head as he continued, "Theirs to protect, it's a warning to all else who may cause harm or seek to cause any misfortune to that person."

"So, it's kind of like we're each others body guards?" Harry asked, lifting his head to meet Remus' eyes.

"Essentially, yes. Of course, there are some perks for the person claimed as well." Remus told him, threading his fingers idly through the raven hair. Harry raised an eyebrow at that.

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure you'll be able to tell the difference." The amber-eyed teen told him thoughfully, "A lot of the adjustments are the same as what you'll experience by simply being infected by a fully shifted werewolf."

"If I hadn't already been bitten by Greyba-" When Harry saw the murderous look on the other boy's face, he broke off and continued quickly, "Would your bite have infected me?"

"Well, in a way but it wouldn't have been enough to turn you. You can only be turned by being bitten by a transformed werewolf. If bitten by one in their human form, you'll just experience some... wolf-like tendencies."

"Such as?"

"You might find yourself with a taste for bloody meat, or have the sudden urge to yell at the moon. Things like that."

"Would I have had the urge to start sniffing butts?"

"What?! No! What the-" When Harry's bark of laughter finally registered, Remus scowled and pinched him lightly. "Very funny."

"You still haven't told me what changes I should be expecting from all of this." Harry said once he'd finally gotten over his mirth. Merlin, but the look on Remus' face.

"Well, one of them has already happened." Remus told the teen with a smile. When Harry gave him a puzzled look, he continued, "You haven't put your glasses back on, Harry. Didn't you notice?"

At that, Harry blinked owlishly for a moment before he gasped. He wasn't wearing his glasses, the things he'd needed his entire life, and he could see everything fine. Better than fine- as a matter of fact, when Harry cast his gaze around the room he realized he could make out details he'd never been able to see before- it was like the world was much sharper now. Looking back at Remus, eyes wide, he managed to speak through the shock.

"But... how?"

"It's either due to my marking you, or you being infected yesterday. Either way, more things will come with time." The wolf told him, going on to explain. "Your sense of smell will increase, your hearing will sharpen, you'll also go through bouts of unexplainable agitation as your body tries to deal with the infection. This is all without even being sure you'll be turned once the full moon comes."

"And if I don't turn? Will everything go back to normal?" Harry asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure yet if any of this was good or bad. At the moment, he was just working on accepting the facts.

"I don't know, Harry." Remus answered him honestly, looking apologetic, "I've never heard of a case where someone didn't turn."

Harry decided he wasn't going to respond to that, frankly he didn't want to deal with it. He was a bit sick of people acting like his life was over simply because he's been bitten by Greyback. He was just about to plant a conversation-obliterating kiss on the other boy when something seemed to burst within his gut, and all of a sudden he... felt.

Noticing Harry's face, Remus was immediately concerned and grabbed the teen by the shoulders. "What is it, Harry? What's wrong?"

"I... it's..." The emerald-eyed boy couldn't formulate his response, too busy dissecting the feelings.

After they had originally emerged, they settled back in his consciousness almost like they were an afterthought. When he focused on them specifically, however, they jumped forward and flooded him again. It was like he was feeling those things, but at the same time he knew he wasn't.

It felt like having two other entities inside of him, invading him with their emotions when he directed his attention to them. He tried focusing on only one at a time, and was finally able to figure out what each one was. The first felt a little strained, like the connection was pulled tight enough to snap, and the emotions running along it were concerning. Confusion, fear, regret, shock.

The next one he focused on seemed... loose, completely at ease. The worry he could feel was mostly prevalent but Harry could also make out an undertone of something... warm. He focused harder on it and realized it was some form of very deep affection. Frowning, slightly puzzled, he finally found his voice.

"When you said more aware, just what did you mean exactly?" Remus was slightly baffled at the abrupt question.

"We will have an awareness of how the other is feeling, to an extent. We won't be able to detect every emotion, just very strong ones." The werewolf stared at Harry, hard. "Has it already started for you?"

"I think so..." Harry mumbled slowly, brows furrowing. "It's a little bizarre, almost like I can feel two other people in the background of my mind."

"Two?" Remus asked, incredulous. "What do you mean two?"

"I think," The raven-haired teen began thoughtfully, "I can feel the other you too."

"My older self? You can feel him?"

"Yeah, it's not good either." Harry responded with a frown, "Is that not supposed to happen?"

"No, I guess it should considering he is me after all. The thought just hadn't occurred to me that you would." Remus concluded, then grinned at Harry. "I've been able to detect yours since last night."

"Oh really? And what do you feel?" The other boy asked with a smirk, moving closer to the werewolf. Remus gave him a considering look.

"Hm. You feel like..." Remus paused with a smile full of mischief, "You want to kiss me."

"As you say." Harry laughed and did just that.

* * *

Lupin was watching himself at seventeen in Potions class with his best friends. He observed as Sirius' potion suddenly flew into the air and landed on his head. He started as the scene went black a moment before he found himself in the hospital wing, looking on as Dumbledore from the present time conversed with his teenage counterpart.

_This... isn't happening. It can't have happened._

He felt out of body, like a ghost floating through different images and scenes. His mind was pushing all of these instances,in front of his eyes like a cinema. He almost couldn't believe it was real, but after he finished observing each memory it suddenly seemed to snap into place in his mind like a missing puzzle piece.

The scene changed to one of Harry turning around as Remus- as a teenager and fully concealed with a glamor- stepped into the headmaster's office. He saw irritation in the other boy's face as Harry stood to introduce himself. When Remus didn't react to Harry's name, he found surprise and curiosity flicker in the emerald-eyes.

_I... don't..._

The man was now observing as his younger self met Ron and Hermione, the girl looking tense. He saw himself watching his older self- the person he was now- at the head table during breakfast. He watched the scenes change rapidly, little snippets of memory running quickly through his subconscious- Harry biting his own lip when Remus went to help him in Potions, himself competing against Hermione in flying, admitting to Harry he was a werewolf.

He witnessed his teenage counterpart having a meltdown after that, determining he would change everything in the future. He watched Harry approach him at the lake, apologizing to him and then Remus blurting out that he'd join the quidditch team to distract the other boy from figuring out who he was.

Dread grew in him when he regarded himself and Harry at the quidditch pitch- his younger self a little dazed as he looked at Harry for several moments. Then later, on their way to class, he observed the blatantly obvious flirting between the two, and in Defense Against the Dark Arts he saw his two versions- old and young- interact and the spark on contact... and suddenly, he remembered this.

_This... happened. All of them are my... memories._

* * *

Remus, Harry, Ron, Hermione and numerous other members of the Order of the Phoenix were gathered around the now-enlarged kitchen table. Moody, Tonks, Sirius, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Snape, and Pomfrey were seated stiffly, the atmosphere of the gathered group was tense with apprehension.

"Now that everyone's here, I call this meeting to order." Dumbledore suddenly announced, and Harry frowned deeply and cast his eyes around the table quickly.

"Uh, Professor Dumbledore, where's Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked, puzzled. She'd left the man last night with Sirius and Dumbledore hovering over him in order to get some rest of her own- but it was now twelve o'clock noon and the man wasn't present.

"He, ah, still isn't awake yet." Sirius answered the girl's question quickly, hoping they could breeze right past this topic. When Harry's face darkened, he realized the effort would be futile.

"It's noon, why isn't he awake yet?" The teen questioned immediately, concerned. He reached out for that taut connection and felt nearly the same emotions as before- though he caught an underlying gradual sense of acceptance creeping along the line.

"It's much too soon for worry, Mister Potter." Madam Pomfrey put in with a sniff, "If he hasn't awoken in the next few hours, I'll run some tests."

"This is a lot for his brain to digest, Harry." Dumbledore went on for the woman in a soothing tone of voice. "It will take its time to sort its self out."

As Harry opened his mouth to say something else on the matter, Snape's droll voice broke the silence before the teen could get a word out. "As much as I know Potter enjoys the attention, can we progress with this meeting? Some of us have other things to attend to afterward."

"Indubitable." Dumbledore replied with a knowing glance at the Potions professor. "Moody, what have you managed to gather from your reconnaissance mission last night?"

"You were right, Professor." Moody piped up in his gravelly tone, "Riddle Manor is still crawling with those bastards. It's like they're guarding something, doesn't make much since with Voldemort being at the school and all."

"Indeed." The headmaster replied, stroking his beard in thought. "And, Arthur?"

"Oh, yes, quite. My sources tell me that there has been significant activity in the-ah," Here, Mr. Weasley broke off and glanced nervously toward Harry, "Ah, thelocation of interest."

Harry snorted at that obvious emphasis and the blatant way Arthur was trying to disguise what they were speaking about. "You know, no offense and all Mr. Weasley, but you have about as much tact as Ron."

"HEY!" The redheaded teen bellowed indignantly.

"Now, Harry-" Mrs. Weasley started, but the emerald-eyed boy cut her off with a scowl.

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression that I was part of this. If you're just going to hide things from me, why am I even here? Apparently being the preordained murderer of Voldemort doesn't mean squat."

"Harry," Hermione began to admonish her friend for speaking to the older Mrs. and Mr. Weasleys in such a way, but quieted when Dumbledore rose a hand.

"You are absolutely right Harry. I am sorry for that, I'm just unused to the ability to be open with you on these matters after so many years."

"Albus, are you sure this is a good idea letting the children know?" Molly asked with worry, grabbing her husband's hand.

"The boy's right. He's the only one who will have to face and defeat the Dark Lord. We can't keep coddling him like a child and expect that he will live." Professor Snape said with a sneer at the woman. Harry stared, wide-eyed and shocked that the man had taken up for him.

"I agree." Sirius finally spoke, though he was glaring at Snape as if to say How dare you be on my side of anything?

There was a pregnant pause after that and each Order member were lost in their own heads, contemplating different things. Dumbledore was attempting to get his thoughts together and Sirius and Snape still hadn't stopped glaring at each other, unblinking. Harry raised a brow at them, equal parts amused and disturbed.

Remus brushed his hand over Harry's arm discreetly, and the emerald-eyed teen knew he was offering his support silently. They hadn't yet discussed whether or not they were going to be open about their relationship, but they had agreed to keep the mate thing to themselves.

Harry's mouth tilted just enough at the edges that he knew Remus would detect the not-quite smile. During the silence, the raven-haired boy took in his mate's appearance with a little disappointment. The wolf had reapplied his glamour this morning before they had left their room to join the other occupants of the house, and Harry missed being able to see the other teen as who he really was.

He understood the reasoning for it, though- the less people aware of the situation the better. Hopefully Moody and Ginny wouldn't open their big mouths- though Harry trusted the auror a damn sight more than the girl, he knew how Moody got when he drank. He cast a glance at said man and found him in deep conversation with Pomfrey. If luck held, maybe Moody would see sense and not drink when so much was going on with Voldemort.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke. Everyone at the table nearly jumped from the shock of the silence suddenly being broken.

"Harry, we have been looking into locations that Voldemort is... fond of. Most of the reports thus far have been troubling, there is a lot of activity in many of these areas." The wizard paused to let that information soak in.

"But, why would that be?" Remus asked in a thoughtful tone, "Voldemort gained his prize- Hogwarts- there's no sense in dividing his forces away from him like that just to guard empty lots."

"Too right, my boy." The headmaster agreed, sounding a bit proud of Remus for the deduction. "We believe that he is guarding certain... valuables at these places."

"Valuables? What could he have that's so important he'd risk that?" Hermione questioned, brow furrowed.

"They're called Horcruxes." Dumbledore informed them with a look as if he really wished this wasn't what they were dealing with.

"Oh, no, but that's-" Breaking off, Hermione gasped and suddenly looked faint. Ron, in a moment of courage, wrapped his arm around the girl in comfort.

"What?" Harry asked, looking blankly between Dumbledore and Hermione. He spared at glance at Remus, only to find him pale as well.

"A Horcrux is an artifact that a wizard chooses and imbues a piece of his soul within. It is the darkest form of magic, requiring death to create. It also negatively impacts the wizard. He will be disfigured to different degrees, and his mind will become unstable by only making one." Dumbledore supplied, the ever-present twinkle in his eye now chillingly absent. Harry frowned, confused.

"But, you said 'Horcruxes' when you were talking about V-Voldemort. How many does he have?" Ron asked.

"The exact number is not known to us, but we have managed to confirm three." Moody replied gruffly, looking angry.

"Alright." Harry said slowly, looking at all of the grim faces around him. He felt like he was the only one missing something. "But what does a Horcrux do exactly?"

"You put part of your soul in one..." Hermione commented hesitantly, before abruptly stopping as if just realizing something. She looked a little green and her eyes started watering. Now Harry was very concerned.

"As long as that object exists with your soul fragment," Remus picked up the sentence, watching Harry closely as he spoke. "You cannot be truly killed."

"You're trying to tell me that Voldemort is IMMORTAL?!" Harry yelled, fists clenching the table. "How the hell am I supposed to kill him? He's got at least three!"

"The Horcruxes will have to be destroyed before you can truly battle with Voldemort." McGonagall intoned, scowling at Harry. "Mind your tone."

"Oh, are we going to get back on that again?" Harry asked her with a scathing glare. The woman visibly tensed, and as she opened her mouth to most likely tell the teen off for disrespect, Dumbledore stepped in smoothly.

"Yes, Minevra is quite right. Our mission right now is to locate and destroy each of these objects. We have no hope of victory otherwise, which is why we couldn't have possibly defended the school and kept control of it."

"I had been wondering about that one." Ron admitted a bit sheepish.

"Speaking of that," Harry began as something that had bothered him since last night nagged at his brain again, "When Lupin and I were attacked... there were four Death Eaters that approached us, but the fourth one never did anything. Just stood there and was gone by the time we beat the others."

"Ah, yes. Severus, would you like to take this question?" The headmaster asked kindly and received a sneer from the man.

"It was Narcissa Malfoy. She is now our spy." Snape said simply. "She is also the one who informed me that the brat got bitten."

"Our spy?" Harry was shocked. Narcissa Malfoy?!

"I thought you were a spy, why weren't you fighting with the Death Eaters yesterday?" Ron questioned as Hermione finally gained control of herself and sat up, stiffly.

"My cover was compromised."

"What happened?" Hermione questioned, clearing her throat to get rid of the small rasp. Snape gave her a condescending look and didn't answer.

"Oh, come now, honestly." Tonks spoke with a roll of her eyes, "He took an Unbreakable Vow last summer to protect Draco Malfoy. Earlier on yesterday Moody and I had to go rescue his butt and the kid- apparently some Death Eaters were ordered to kill Draco to make an example of him and Snape had to expose himself to protect the kid."

"That's why you both looked like someone pissed in your porridge during class!" Ron exclaimed, then turned bright red when he realized what he'd just said toSnape.

"Mr. Weasley," Snape began in the most terrifying tone Ron had ever heard, however Molly cut the professor off promptly.

"I certainly hope you're not about to attempt to discipline my son in my presence."

Snape snapped his mouth closed and settled for glaring at both of them, and Sirius too when the man broke into a snicker fit. Harry had to hide a chuckle in a cough and he caught Remus smirking out of the corner of his eye. McGonagall looked like she was disgusted with the event.

"When are we gonna be ready to start the raids?" Tonks asked abruptly, looking at Dumbledore and pretending to ignore the others. Her small smile gave her away.

"I'd rather we gathered more information first. I do not want anyone sent in without being fully prepared when we begin." The aged wizard responded, some of the twinkle back in his eye at seeing the humor the others shared.

"Whenever you say the words, then." Moody replied with a nod. "I can have the teams arranged in the best groups to be the most efficient, it shouldn't be a problem."

When Harry caught on to what exactly they were discussing, he frowned. "I'm going too."

"You most certainly are not!" McGonagall responded, outraged at the suggestion.

"I am not a goddamn child." The teen told her, standing up abruptly. His chair made a screeching noise as it was pushed forcefully back. "I will not just sit at home while you people line a direct path up to Voldemort for me."

"Now, Harry," Sirius started to stand as well and spoke in a calm tone. "We don't want anything to happen to you. Your safety is very important."

"And you think you're accomplishing my safety by holding me back so I get no field experience before I have to fight the darkest wizard on earth and his band of merry men?" The teen asked in a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes at all of them. He was beyond irritated.

"Harry does have a point." Remus stated with a firm voice, giving his old friend a very edgy look. He didn't like the idea of Harry in harm's way any more than the others, but he knew it wasn't doing the boy any favors to shelter him. Harry gave him a grateful look.

"It's out of the question." Molly said firmly, folding her arms.

"Actually, I tend to agree with the boys." Dumbledore stunned everyone by saying. He smiled sadly and continued, "Harry does need the experience and we cannot keep him locked up until the final battle. I do, however, suggest training if you're going to be going on these raids Harry."

"Training?" The boy questioned, returning to his seat now that things were in his favor.

"Yes. I would prefer if Moody would agree to give you some extra combat lessons."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." The auror mumbled to himself, looking thoughtful. "I could teach him how to keep alive at least."

"Splendid. One more matter and then we can all be off to do as we please," The headmaster said, "Harry, my boy, I hope this question won't be difficult for you so soon."

"What is it?" Harry asked hesitantly, not liking the phrasing of that sentence.

"You wouldn't have happened to notice anything... odd about Fenrir Greyback, would you have?"

"Odd? Er, other than him being a massive animal that tried to eat me, not so much."

"The headmaster is doing a poor job of trying to ask you if you have any idea how Greyback managed to transform without a full moon." Snape cut in, looking at Dumbledore as if he were daft.

"Oh." Harry said, thinking back on the encounter. "OH! Yeah! He was wearing some kind of ring that started glowing red when he started turning. He said 'you'd be surprised what magic can do,' before he changed."

"A ring, you say?" Dumbledore turned contemplative, absently stroking his white beard again. "Interesting. We will have to look into this. For now, my children, have some lunch and carry about your day. We'll plan out our next steps tomorrow morning."

"Potter, report in the morning before breakfast for your first training exercise." Moody grumbled as he pushed away from the table and stood. When the boy nodded, he turned and left.

Soon after, Arthur Weasley returned to work and Tonks and Madam Pomfrey disappeared to do whatever they needed to. Snape, who had commandeered the cellar of the house for a potions lab, disappeared down the steps with a muttered threat to anyone who should think to bother him.

Dumbledore and McGonagall soon excused themselves and left the house- neither giving information on where they were headed. Once Molly rose and started preparing food for those who were left in the house, Hermione turned to Harry with a disappointed frown.

"You really shouldn't be so rude to Professor McGonagall."

"That woman needs to realize that I'm not a four year old." Harry returned with a scowl.

"Be that as it may, she only had concern for your well being in mind. You don't have to treat her like that every time she expresses it." The girl responded, turning with a sniff of disapproval. Sirius grinned at them in a melancholy way.

"Don't be so hard on him, Hermione." Sirius said as he leaned his chair back on two legs. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glanced between the teenagers. "It's not really his fault that he's so snappish, it's a side effect of the bite."

"He's gonna be an arse 'cause he got bitten?" Ron questioned, looking slightly put out when Harry glared at him.

"He's just going to be a bit irritable at times." Padfoot answered as he rocked his chair thoughtfully. "Oh, I just remembered to tell you, Remus- Dumbledore and I had a discussion last night. He has decided on the method for blocking your memories, it will be a potion. Snape's brewing it now."

"Why now?" Remus asked, wondering when exactly his friend was going to bust his ass with all of that two-legged-chair-rocking. He frowned. "Won't that mean I'll forget the second I take it?"

"No, no." Sirius replied, pushing back to the point that his chair was balanced at a dangerous angle. "It's supposed to be only triggered by time magic. As to why now..."

Harry gave his godfather a hard look when the man cut his sentence off abruptly, as if he didn't want to finish. The man just shrugged and turned to look at the stove where the food was being cooked by Molly. This did not escape Remus' notice and as he started to grill his friend on what he was obviously holding back, it happened.

With a bang loud enough to wake the dead, Sirius was sprawled on the floor. The teenagers were too busy laughing to remember to question his odd behavior before, and Molly just shook her head at them.

* * *

Marauder Era

* * *

Sirius and Peter were lounging around in the Room of Requirement, having decided to skip their Arithmancy class today because screw that. The two were bored and Sirius was still moping over the argument with James, which was irritating Peter. A mopey Sirius was no fun.

"You know, it's been a while since the Marauders pulled a prank." Peter said as he poked at an unknown substance on the floor near the armchair he was in.

"Yeah." Sirius responded with a nod, "With all of the stuff going on with Remus we really haven't been focusing on our Marauder duties, have we?"

"Well, never fear, someone will come along and pick up our slack I'm sure." Peter said with a grin that he hid behind his hand. He knew the best ways to get his friend riled up, and implying that anyone was going to take over for the Marauders was a sure fire way to get some spark back into the other teen.

As expected, Sirius shot off of the loveseat he'd been laying across morosely and started pacing anxiously, pulling at his hair. "What do you mean, 'pick up the slack'? No way is anyone else taking over our crown!"

"I'm just saying, with our sudden lack of presence... some may become bold."

"Yes and then I'll attach their kidneys to their ears as earrings!" Padfoot exclaimed. "This won't do, we need to plan something huge to remind the kids that we're still in charge."

"Well... I do have a few ideas." Peter said and stood. He walked over to one of the cauldrons on the tables across the room from the seats. "What about..."

As Sirius listened to his friend's idea, he grinned an evil, mischievous grin that would have scared every single first year into pissing themselves. It did not bode well when this particular Marauder grinned in such a way.

"That is bloody fantastic! Let's get started now!" Sirius exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet in a very hyper manner.

"Wait, we need to get James in on this too." Peter said, rolling his eyes when Sirius deflated. The other boy scowled at the mention of Prongs.

"No way! We can do this without him, he's too busy trying to bugger that woman." Padfoot replied, acidly.

"Sirius, has it occurred to you yet that maybe what you feel for James isn't love?"

Sirius frowned. "What do you mean? Of course it is."

"Well, maybe you just need to get laid. Maybe you're just projecting certain.. frustrations on to James. You haven't dated anybody all year, just been cooped up with James and the rest of us."

"Preposterous, and I'll prove it to you. I'll go right now while you get this started and shag some bloke. After that, when I still love my Prongsie, I'll be sure to tell you 'I told you so!'"

"I'm... not sure love works that way." Peter replied, brow furrowed at Sirius' declaration. How had that boy managed to twist the idea in such an insane way?

"Nonsense!" Sirius said, waving a hand to ward off anything else Peter might have said.

It was just as he turned to exit the room that Lily Evans walked in to check on the Remus potion.

"Evans!" Sirius jumped back next to Peter in distaste. He leaned conspiratorially and whispered to Peter, "Hide the prank."

* * *

Present Time

* * *

It was around nine thirty PM when Harry finally got fed up with it all. After lunch was finished, everyone had split and did their own things. Ron had joined Harry in the attic, where they were discussing different things and practicing their offensive and defensive spells. He may not have had to train with Moody today, but he'd told his redheaded friend that there was no sense in not practicing so he could be as good as possible. Ron had agreed.

Hermione had disappeared to the house's thick library in an attempt to gain as much critical knowledge as possible. She had told the two that just because they were no longer in school there was no reason why she shouldn't still follow the pursuit of knowledge. They had rolled their eyes, discreetly, and nodded. To Harry's surprise, Remus had accompanied the girl.

Now, it was over two hours since supper and everyone had disappeared again shortly after the meal. Harry had tried training a bit more, but Ron was bored of it and had left off to find Sirius and do something 'entertaining.' The longer that the raven-haired boy sat, unmoving in the dusty attic and thought about everything, the more frustrated he became.

What was bothering him was that Lupin still hadn't woken up. Madam Pomfrey had checked on him before dinner and said that he was perfectly fine physically, but he still wouldn't wake up. Harry hadn't visited him yet, trying to give the man some semblance of privacy, but he was starting to get to his wit's end and the anxiety of wondering what was happening inside the man's head was eating at him.

Finally, the boy snapped and stood abruptly to make his way to Lupin's room. Minutes later, when he pushed open the door, nothing but silence greeted him. He took a few steps inside, noticing that no one else was there, and closed the door behind him. As Harry approached the bed, a small candle that Sirius must have left lit the only light in the room, the teen froze at the sight that was before him.

Lupin looked terribly pale swathed in the dark patchwork quilts that covered his bed. His hands were clenched at his sides, brow furrowed in distress, lips tightly drawn. It was painfully apparent that whatever was going on inside that head of his was distressing, and it made Harry's heart lurch.

Snapping out of his shock, the teen strode forward and took a seat in the armchair beside the bed. He stared at the man for a few long moments, before reaching tentatively out for that connection. He felt it, filled with sadness and apprehension and acceptance. Harry wondered if Lupin was dreaming, or if he was just reliving all of the memories of his time here as a teenager.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Remus." Harry told the unconscious Lupin, "I'm sure this is all... pretty shocking for you. But, you're gonna wake up right? You have to."

The man didn't respond, of course, but Harry felt marginally better having said those words. He wished that Lupin had been able to answer his question, but knew that was impossible. The man was basically in a coma at this point.

"It's pretty shocking for me as well. Apparently I'm..." Here, Harry paused and licked his lips nervously. It was weird to say this aloud to Lupin. "I'm your mate. What's that going to mean for our relationship? We've always been good friends, but never like that. It's okay though, I think. We'll figure out a way to work through all this and remain..."

Harry couldn't finish that sentence. He wished he could, but he wasn't going to lie to Lupin. He knew that even when the man woke up he would want to keep the teenager at a distance, past emotions or not, but Harry honestly couldn't look at him as just a friend anymore.

The emerald-eyed boy stared hard at the man for a few moments. That man was his mate. He was older, yes, and more cautious due to his many more years of experience that the younger Remus didn't have, but they were the same person. They liked and disliked the same things, laughed the same way, smiled the same way, their mannerisms were exactly the same. Harry was hard pressed not to feel something for the man who was so much like the teenager.

"Visiting, huh?" A voice broke Harry from his thoughts and he turned quickly to find the younger Remus standing in the doorway.

"Yeah. I can't believe he isn't awake." Harry replied, turning back to the one in the bed. Remus walked into the room and leaned down to place a kiss on the emerald-eyed boy's head.

"He's going to be fine. His brain has to digest the information and sort through it, after that he'll be up and about with no problems." The teenaged werewolf told his mate soothingly. He glanced at the man on the bed and frowned. "Wow I look like shit."

That caused Harry to chuckle and Remus was proud he'd managed to get that reaction out of the other teen. Reaching out to grab the raven-haired boy's hand, he pulled him to his feet. Harry stood obligingly and gave Remus a small smile.

"Come on, Fred and George are here and they want to show us a new version of Exploding Snap they invented. Say it'll be a blast, which is worrisome, but it does sound interesting."

Harry smiled in response and the two walked out of the room, the teen only pausing a moment to look back at Lupin at the door and hope that he would be alright.

 


	20. A Friend Indeed

Three days since the Order meeting in which Dumbledore informed everyone about the Horcruxes and four grueling training exercises with Moody later, Harry was finally sent out on his first mission. He and a group of four others, including Moody, were headed to Riddle Manor in order to retrieve the Horcrux tucked away there.

Their entire group consisted of Moody, Harry, Remus (who simply refused _not_ to go), Tonks and Oliver Wood. It had come as a surprise to Harry, though really it was only common sense, that there were numerous other places being used as hideouts for the many other Order members who didn't reside at the headquarters of Grimauld Place.

The teen had been informed that at each of those places were people that were in charge of the members there, and each location had an average number of fourteen people living within. Oliver Wood was a resident of the hideaway nearest to Grimauld, and had at some point during the time since he'd graduated from Hogwarts became a very big player in the movements of the Order.

Moody had hand selected Wood for their group due to his ability to move about stealthily and also his skill at wandless magic. The younger man hadn't objected to going, and Harry suspected it might have had something to do with Tonks, who the man kept looking at oddly. Remus seemed to find the entire thing amusing, but never made comment.

The group had apparated to a meadow just outside of the town of Little Whinging, hoping that the distance between the area and Riddle Manor would prevent any proximity and apparition alarms from being set off.

They quietly made their way through the woods that surrounded the outskirts of town, keeping to the shadows of the night and stepping silently due to _Silencio_ charms applied to their shoes. They planned to avoid the entire town all together to minimize the risk of being sighted by any of the residents, even at the late hour.

Riddle Manor and the property of land it stood on was a good mile past the East side of town, disillusionment charms covering every inch of the large house that sat ominously and imposing on a hill over the town. The only reason Harry, Remus, Moody, Tonks and Oliver could see it was due to their prior knowledge of its existence.

As they came to the line of trees that marked the end of the woods, the group paused and took stock of the grounds before them. They could see a couple sentries guarding the front door of the manor house, but otherwise the property looked entirely deserted. There wasn't even a glow in any of the house's windows that would indicate light and life within. The picture this all painted was creepy.

'This doesn't feel right.' Moody's gruff voice sounded in Harry's head. 'There were more of them on the last stake out.'

Hermione had been the one to come up with this new form of communication for members of the Order. She had said that it was a simple matter of modifying the coins they had used for the members of Dumbledore's Army to allow thought-speak. These new coins were vastly treasured by the Order, having given the members a silent way to communicate that wouldn't run the risk of exposing them. Hermione was proud.

'The guard does seem very lax for there to be a Horcrux here. You sure there were more of them the last time you checked this location?' Tonks questioned the older auror, who scowled at her.

'Of course I'm sure, are you questioning my skill as an auror, girl?' Moody growled, which was very weird inside the heads of the teenagers. They shot a quick glance at each other in exasperation.

'Alright, you two, now is not the time.' Wood cut in as their banter started getting heated, the look on the young man's face determined. 'We continue on. If there's nothing here then at least we'll be able to cross this location off the list.'

'That's what I was going to say.' Moody said as he cast a scathing look at his apprentice. Tonks rolled her eyes in response, but didn't comment.

The group, having previously discussed their strategies and plan of action, separated into two smaller teams. Moody, Tonks and Remus were team one and Harry and Wood were part of the second. The latter two quickly cast disillusionment charms on each other and stalked quickly and silently toward the house. The other group hung back and waited for the signal that would prompt them to advance.

Wood and Harry split as they got closer to the house, both maneuvering themselves behind one of the two guards. They were stalking stealthily closer in order to take out their targets when they both stopped. The guards were speaking and the two took the chance to listen in on the conversation.

“I still don't understand why the master made us stay here.” The shorter, stockier guard that Harry was behind said to the other, in a clearly evident whiny tone. “We should be at the castle with the others, basking in the glory of our victory! Not guarding a hovel in the middle of no where!”

“Hold your tongue, Cadris!” The taller Death Eater snapped, obviously the authority of the pair. “This is the most sacred house our master grew up in. It is worthy of our time and attention.”

“Give me a break, Hodge. The Dark Lord himself doesn't even like this place. Why are we guarding it when we have Hogwarts?” Cadris questioned impudently, crossing his arms.

“It is not for us to question. We do as He says.”

“Sounds like a cop out to me, you don't really know anything do you?”

“Shut up, or I will report your insolence to the master.” Hodge snapped.

The two continued to trade petty insults as Wood and Harry exchanged a look. It was clear that the two Death Eaters had no idea what they were guarding at this location, and they hadn't mentioned any other patrols in the house. Agreeing that they were not going to get any more information from the pair, the two unnoticed men quickly went about their task.

Harry moved swiftly and pressed his wand to the back of Cadris' head, quickly muttering the knock-out jinx that would have the man down for the next six hours at minimum. He dragged the man over to the bushes on the side of the house and quickly stashed his body in the thickest plants. After taking the man's wand and ruthlessly snapping it, he returned to find Wood had disposed of his target in an equally sufficient manner. The older man took the two wand halves from Harry and pocketed them, face grim.

Snapping a wizard's wand was one of the worst things you could do to a magical being. A wand is like an extension of your soul once it chooses you, and snapping that in half is akin to carving out a part of a person's very essence. Of course, you can always get a second or third wand from a wand maker, but no replacement would ever compare to the original instrument. Harry had been hardened to the act by Moody, who had drilled into him that war was no place for mercy. The Death Eaters would sooner kill him or worse than show him any leniency, thus Harry had to be prepared to go above and beyond in order to stay alive and whole. The entire thing still left him feeling dirty, but he understood the need for such actions.

Having dispatched the guards, both men turned and shot off silver sparks that lit the area to the right of the house. The three waiting in the shadows advanced to join their team members when they caught sight of the signal. Once they were all together, Moody turned to the door without a word and began staring at it hard, his magical eye going in all directions rapidly. The other four waited while the man did this, and sighed in relief when Moody informed them that the door was not bespelled.

Tonks opened the door slowly, wand raised, looking carefully around it at the hallway it opened to. Not seeing anyone lurking around, she waved her hand to signal the others and entered the manor. The hallway was long and ended in a set of stairs to the next floor. There were three closed doors on either side, and absolutely no noise. It was almost suspicious how absolutely silent the building was.

'We stay together and keep sharp. There will doubtlessly be traps hidden everywhere.' Moody ordered, moving toward the first of the three doors with Tonks and Wood flanking him. Harry and Remus followed as the three opened the door and peered carefully inside.

All five blinked in confusion. The room was bare, save a fireplace set in the middle of the right-side wall and a stiff, high back arm chair positioned in front of it. There were no decorations, no other furniture, not even any candles or wall sconces to shed light on the space.

'I'm guessing this was Voldemort's brooding room.' Harry stated monotonously, honestly not sure how to take the space.

Moody and Tonks entered the room and began looking around for anything suspicious. The two teens followed Wood into the room and found it faintly amusing to watch Moody glare hard at every inch of wall, the man obviously searching for magical signatures. Harry kept close to the opposite side of the room from the chair, feeling uncomfortable near the object. Remus noticed and stayed close to the emerald-eyed teenager.

“What's the matter?” Remus questioned in a whisper, too low for the others to notice.

“That chair. Voldemort must have favored it, his magical impression is oozing from it.” Harry responded with only a small shiver of disgust. He was quite proud at how tiny it was, really.

Remus put a hand on his mate's shoulder to steady him, and Harry gave him a grateful look. No more words were spoken until Moody suddenly hissed triumphantly. Everyone moved to the man, waiting to hear about what he'd found.

Without saying a word, the older auror started waving his wand rapidly at a square section of the wall. Now that the others were focused on the area, they could feel the small traces of magic exuding from it. It was a matter of minutes before the wall seemed to fold in on its self and a square, perfectly two by two foot compartment was revealed.

The five leaned closer to get a better look inside, Tonks casting a low-toned  _ lumos _ to aid them. In the compartment were several stacks of files depicting some sort of financial statistics, as well as two boxes. One box was large, black, and evil positively radiated from it. It was sealed shut by magic and had a small silver lock in the front. The second box was half the size of the first and looked innocent enough. It was brown, sealed shut as well but without a locking mechanism. None in the team could feel any magic from the object, which puzzled them.

'Tonks, the bag.' Wood reminded the woman, turning after his perusal and keeping a sharp eye on the door.

The auror dug into her robes and pulled out a sack that had several space-enlargement charms on it. Moody used his wand to levitate every object in the compartment directly into the bag with care.

'Is this it, then?' Tonks questioned as she sealed the bag shut with a complicated array of charms, lest it fall into the wrong hands.

The group turned and looked at Harry, who shrugged helplessly. 'How should I know? I've never been around a Horcrux before.'

'Well, regardless, it's our duty to finish searching the manor. We must stay vigilant.' Wood said and Tonks shot him an amused look.

'Been listening a little too close to something, haven't you?'

'Alright, now, let's get on with this. I'm not getting any younger.' Moody stated.

It didn't take long for the five Order members to finish their raid of the ground floor and, finding nothing of import, soon they advanced with care to the second.

This floor began with a large landing area that held nothing interesting, and two short hallways branched off on either side. One hallway held one simple door, the other four. Moody directed them to search the hallway with the most rooms first. They ended up finding a few more documents hidden in alcoves, but nothing that seemed terribly important to the teenagers.

The five finally made their way to the single door in the other hallway, after dodging a simple jelly-legs jynx that had been set on one of the floor tiles. Harry got the creeps as they approached this room, and mentioned this to the others. The group took his words very seriously and prepared to fight as they opened the door, wands at the ready.

It was understandable that the sight that greeted them caused immense confusion in every one. The room was a study, bookcases lining one wall and a desk pushed against the window that overlooked the town outside. In the center of the room, on an old and frayed carpet, lay six unconscious Death Eaters tied together with a thick magic rope and a knot that was so intricate, Harry could barely make sense of it.

'What the bloody-' Moody began, only to have Remus cut him off vocally.

“I'm going to  _ murder _ him.”

“Who?” Harry asked in confusion, looking at his mate.

“Sirius!”

“What do you mean, Sirius? There's no way he did this, he can't leave the house.” Tonks said with a frown.

“Says who? Is there magic physically binding him to the building?” Remus questioned, brow raised. Tonks flushed when she realized what he was implying.

“Well, no, but he knows...” Abruptly, the woman stopped talking as she realized they were talking about  _ Sirius _ . Of course he didn't care about doing as he was told.

“Why do you think Sirius did this?” Harry asked as he moved cautiously over to the Death Eaters to inspect the situation. They didn't have any visible injuries that the boy could see.

“That knot. It's the Marauder knot.” The wolf told him as he pointed at it. He shot a glance at Wood, who looked confused, “They came up with it as a kind of signature for certain pranks.”

“And no one besides those four would know it?” Harry questioned, standing and looking around the room with Moody and Tonks.

“No. Only Marauders would have the knowledge.”

“What about Wormtail?”

“Do you honestly see him tying up his buddies?” Remus asked with a shake of his head. “No, it had to of been Sirius.”

“Well, we'll find out when we return.” Moody said. “For now let's finish the mission and then worry about the mutt.”

No one responded, instead focusing on separate parts of the room and searching for anything out of place. Harry was going through the drawers on the desk, not finding anything remotely interesting until he came to the larger bottom drawer. It wouldn't open and a quick check told him magic had it sealed. Without thinking to check for traps, the boy immediately cast the counter-charm.

There was a loud  _ click _ , but the drawer didn't open. Harry frowned in bewilderment and was just about to try the counter again when Tonks suddenly yelled. Whipping around, he saw the woman pointing at the ceiling, the others looking in that direction as well.

There were several long bolts of flame flowing in blazing lines from an orange, glowing epicenter, each line long enough to lick at the walls of the room. As they looked, the lines started spiraling rapidly in circles and descended toward the group and the Death Eater captives. The Order members exploded into motion, Wood thinking to move the six enemies from the room as Tonks rushed to the door with the teens on her heels. Moody lagged behind, shooting off counter-curses rapid fire in an attempt to extinguish the fire trap.

The second the group got within touching distance of the doorway the door slammed shut, and when Wood reached for the handle an invisible force pulsed out in retaliation. Tonks, Wood and the Death Eaters were forcefully slammed into the wall across from the entrance, remaining pinned to the surface instead of sliding down to the floor. Harry turned gray when he heard the _crack_ that sounded when Tonks hit, knowing automatically something was broken. The woman's head lolled to the side, bowed down with her chin resting on her chest.

“ _Tonks!_ ” Wood shouted, trying to get a response from the auror who wasn't moving.

“We have _got_ to get out of here.” Remus said, tone bordering on desperate. Harry cast his eyes around the room quickly as he tried to locate the source of the trap.

“Well we're obviously not going to be able to use the door, what other options do we have?” He asked his mate in frustration, pushing down panic.

Instead of responding, Remus walked quickly over to the desk and grabbed the chair, bringing it up above his head and slamming it into the window. The window bent in like rubber, absorbing the impact and then snapped back into place like a rubber band. The abrupt movement sent the chair flying back into the werewolf, who flew a good distance back and landed with a heavy _thump_.

“Remus!” Harry shouted. He started to move toward the other teen when Remus managed to pull himself up and swipe at a bloodied cut on his head.

“I'm alright. I'm alright.” He groaned. He looked at the blood on the palm of his hand with disdain. Shaking his head slightly, his eyes darted around the room in a calculating manner. “We've got to be missing something here, damn it.”

Moody was dragging with the fatigue of casting far too many spells back to back, but remained focused on his task of attempting to disable the fire spirals. Harry had almost forgotten about the impending barbeque. He looked at his friends, seeing Tonks still unconscious and Wood panicky, Remus on his knees with blood dripping down his face, Moody looking worn out and run down, and something inside him just said _enough!_

“ _REDUCTO_!” He growled, wand pointed squarely at the orange ball in the center of the ceiling. It was a long shot, he was sure Moody would have tried that spell already, but he was so fucking tired of watching everyone around him constantly encounter no-win situations and injuries and Remus was bleeding and _it just needs to fucking stop._

The orange light pulsed after it was hit, shimmering like a strobe before it seemed to fold in on its self and implode. The second the light was gone, the fire disappeared. There was no big 'pop' or sizzle or anything, the flames were just there one minute and gone the next. A silence descended as the group paused in bafflement, and during this a faint _click_ was heard.

Harry positively glowered at the now-open desk drawer that had caused all of this.

Remus was on his feet now, stepping toward Harry as Moody went to inspect Tonks and Wood- who were now freed from the wall- for any injuries. The two teens stood side by side and just stared at the desk silently for a long moment, both wondering what they would find inside that drawer. The raven-haired teen reached out and grasped Remus' hand, an almost unconscious decision. When the blonde squeezed his hand in reassurance warmth spread through Harry and soothed his frayed nerves.

With reluctance, Harry released Remus' hand and moved toward the desk. The only thing sitting inside the drawer was a simple wooden box. Reaching inside, the teen withdrew the object and sat it on the desk top carefully. Remus walked up and stood beside the other teen, offering his presence silently which Harry appreciated greatly.

With stiff fingers, Harry reached out and flipped the lid of the box. It opened easily, no magic spelling it shut, and inside the teen found a folded piece of parchment and a ring. The ring looked... _dead._ The jewel was cracked and blackened, the silver metal tarnished. Moody, Wood and an injured Tonks joined them as Harry was inspecting the ring.

“Well, that'd be it then.” Moody muttered and took the ring from the teen, looking at it closely. “This was one of the Horcruxes we knew about.”

“Was?” Remus questioned with a frown.

“The magic's gone from it, boy. Dunno how that came to be, can't see Voldemort destroying his own soul.” Moody responded before pocketing the object. He peered into the box and saw the paper, lifted it out and looked it over. “That's strange.”

“What is it?” Harry asked, brow furrowed. Moody handed the paper over to the boy wordlessly.

Harry read the word scrawled on the outside and was stunned when he realized it was his name. He unfolded it cautiously, wondering if Voldemort was playing some sort of trick on them. As he read the contents his mouth dropped in confusion.

_Harry -_

_How's it goin'? I knew you'd find this, just like I knew you'd be the one to figure out that trap. Yes, I set that trap... sorry about that, but I felt the need to test your skills. I know you've been training hard and I wanted to be sure that it was sinking it – not that I didn't already know, really._

_I'm sorry, this is probably confusing. You're wondering who I am – I'm not going to tell you, by the way – and how I know all of this. You're wondering if I'm a friend or foe – I'm an ally, I can assure you. I destroyed this Horcrux for you, as a birthday gift you could say. (Happy Birthday, by the way. Today's the big day, right?) I hope you enjoyed the added bonus of those Death Eaters already rounded up for you. Thought I'd cut down on the leg work for you._

_Anyway, I'm rambling here. Down to business. I'm writing to help you and the Order out with an answer to a puzzling question – just how does one destroy a Horcrux? The answer is both simple and difficult. Acquire the Sword of Gryffindor and proceed to smash or stab to your heart's content. I'm sure you'll understand why that might be difficult, if not Dumbledore certainly will._

_Another question – How many Horcruxes are there?_

_There are five. Four, now that I've taken care of the ring. Happy hunting, I'll be in touch._

_-A Friend_

_(P.S. I'm sure he's probably within two feet of you so tell Remus I said hello. It's been far too long.)_

 

 

 

An emergency Order meeting was called the second the group returned to Grimauld to discuss the events of the raid. It was three in the morning and the kitchen table was packed with the most important members, some wide awake and others bleary-eyed and sleep deprived. Dumbledore sat at the head of the table and puzzled over the letter.

“None of us can read this, it obviously had a strong concealment charm on it.” The man said as he stroked his beard. “The person who wrote this letter is very powerful, it took a great deal of my magical power to counter the charm. This certainly _is_ an interesting development.”

“Is it your birthday Harry?” Tonks asked, arm in a sling as the effects of Skele-Gro worked to mend her shattered arm.

“Yeah, it became my birthday at midnight. We got the letter shortly after one thirty.” The teen replied, sunk down in his chair tiredly. He rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. “I don't get this, why would they help us but also throw a trap like that at us? Any one of us could have been killed.”

“Perhaps they overestimated your ability to not screw up everything.” Snape replied snappishly, glowering at the teen. Harry had to fight the strong immature urge to stick his tongue out at the ass.

“Whatever the reason, we should tread carefully.” McGonagall said in a world-weary way, “We can't afford to trust this... _friend_ blindly. Albus, what do you think about the theory that the Gryffindor Sword can destroy Horcruxes?”

“I believe it to be so.” Dumbledore replied, looking up from the parchment. “The magic of the founders is very ancient and very powerful. It's a very clever idea to use the sword, but it's not going to be easy to get it.”

“Yeah, the guy said it would be difficult. Why?” Harry questioned, shifting slightly toward Remus. He was beginning to feel restless and it seemed to only ebb away when he was close to his mate.

“The sword currently resides in my office, where Fawkes brought it after the last time it was called to use. In order to retrieve it, we will have to go to Hogwarts.” The headmaster said gravely.

“Wait,” Ron said suddenly, looking pale. “If it's at Hogwarts how do we know Voldemort hasn't gotten his hands on it? He's probably set up shop in your office by now.”

“Doubtful.” Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. “There is a magic that protects the office against any who are not the headmaster. If for any reason the current headmaster of the school is forcefully removed before his term, without him renouncing his position, the office will seal its self off from all others.”

“So they can't get in. That's brilliant.” Hermione breathed, eyes gleaming. “We actually have a chance.”

“It will be extremely dangerous, more so than anything we've done thus far, but yes.” The man responded. “We will need to formulate a plan of action, agree on who we will send. I will have to go as the office will only open to me.”

“I'd like to pose the question no one has asked yet about this mystery pen pal.” Ron piped up during the lull in conversation after the headmaster's last words. When the room turned their attention to him, he continued. “How the hell does this guy know Remus?”

“I thought it might've been Sirius for a while back there.” Remus replied, head tilting thoughtfully as he pondered who it could be.

“There is a spell that alerts the household should Black act rash again.” Snape informed the teenager, looking at the aforementioned man with a sneer. Sirius gave him the finger.

“You don't think it's Peter, do you?” Hermione questioned, biting her lip. “He wouldn't, right?”

“I seriously doubt it.” Sirius replied, expression dark. “After all this time, all the bad blood – most of which he spilled – no, I doubt it.”

Remus said nothing on the subject, not knowing anything about the Peter from this time. He knew his friend from his time and still had a very hard time imagining that mousy, loyal boy doing all of the things that the Wormtail today had done. It was impossible for him to conceive.

The conversation shifted and they began to discuss Voldemort's rise in power in the ministry. The former acting minister had an 'accident' and was swiftly replaced with Lucius Malfoy. After the man came into power yesterday he had enacted laws against all those without strict magical breeding, ordering all muggle borns and people with magical creature blood to report to the ministry for documenting. Dumbledore informed those that weren't aware, with a grim face, that this process included snapping those people's wands.

“We need to tread more cautiously than ever. Lucius has placed a price on every known Order member's head and we are to be apprehended on sight and brought to the ministry. This war is going to get much worse than I'd imagined, and I pray for everyone's safety.” The aged wizard said gravely. “We will all need our wits about us, so we shall continue this meeting tomorrow. For now, I hope everyone manages to get some rest tonight for the days ahead.”

With that, the meeting was called to an end and the Order members slowly trickled out of the room. Harry and Remus retired to their room after a brief conversation with Hermione and Ron and several goodnight's all around.

The restless feeling that Harry had been suffering from for the last hour or so was getting stronger and he could barely contain himself until the door to their room was closed before he grabbed Remus and slammed him against the wall, sealing their lips together.

Remus made a noise of surprise but quickly joined in the blazing kiss, hands on Harry's hips. The raven-hared teen made a noise of approval, nipping at his mate's bottom lip and bringing their bodies flush. The blond was puzzled by the sudden fierceness Harry was displaying, but enjoyed it none the less.

Harry grabbed the back of Remus' head and tangled his fingers in the teen's hair, breaking from the kiss and trailing nips and kisses down the other boy's neck. Remus gasped at the feeling, his head tilting to the side unconsciously to give more access. His eyelids lowered and he pulled on Harry's hips, bringing their bodies into firmer contact that caused both teens to groan audibly.

The raven-haired teen rolled his hips against his mate experimentally, both emitting noises of pleasure at the contact. Remus lost all sense of reality for a moment under the weight of the sensation, his hands grasping tighter on Harry's hips, before he suddenly realized what was happening. As Harry's fingers ran along the hem of his shirt, he struggled to speak.

“Harry-” Remus had to groan when his mate moved his hips again, panting with the effort it took to control himself. “I think you- _ahh-_ need to slow down- _merlin!_ \- this is your instincts kicking in. I don't want to do somethin- _nng_ \- you'll regret later..”

Harry pulled his face back and looked at his mate, flushed and heaving and looking deliciously debauched. He smirked and kissed him. “Oh I'm not going to regret a second of this, love.”

Remus' eyes flashed and from that point on, his logical mind took a vacation. Harry took his wand out and cast a couple different spells; removed the glamour on Remus and put up a silencing charm.

It only took seconds before the two found themselves on the bed they'd designated as theirs. Hands roamed, lips and tongues clashed and their bodies fitted together like two pieces of a puzzle. Harry quickly removed Remus' shirt and set about leaving a trail of playful nips along the teen's collarbone, causing him to arch up into the other boy's body.

Harry's hands roamed down Remus' chest, relishing the reactions he could get from his mate. The dusty brown haired teen peered at the other boy with amber eyes darkened, a look that scorched straight to Harry's soul. With a growl, Remus wrapped his arm around Harry's back and leg around his and flipped them so that Harry was flat against the bed and his mate loomed over him.

Emerald green eyes locked onto amber brown, a challenge passing between them. It was a fiery, lustful, piercing stare that conveyed many different things, a contest of wills and demands left unspoken. Instincts were strong and it took several long moments before Harry finally was the one who relented and dropped his gaze.

Remus smirked and reached out to grasp the other teen's chin, turning his head so that their eyes met again. This time the gaze was gentle and affectionate, Remus lowering to leave a lingering kiss that sent a shiver down Harry's spine.

When the kiss broke Remus turned and left a softer kiss against the bite mark he'd left on the other teen's shoulder. A feeling hotter than fire tore through Harry at the contact, the bond expanding until Harry wasn't sure he could tell where his mate ended and he began.

They made love leisurely, neither caring for speed. It was passionate, tender in a way, and for the duration of it only the other teen existed in their reality. Nothing else in the world outside mattered, time didn't have any bearing. It was the the most meaningful, mind-numbing experience Harry had ever had.

When they came, it was within seconds of each other and it seemed like the world shattered with its intensity. Afterward, they lay breathing heavily wrapped around each other, trying to get a grasp back on reality.

* * *

 

Marauder Era

* * *

 

Sirius strutted with purpose into the Gryffindor common room, immediately setting his sights on his best friend. He stalked up to stand in front of the teenager, who looking up at him in surprise that was quickly replaced by anger.

“What do you want?” James asked suspiciously, eyeing his friend.

“Look.” Sirius gathered his resolve, hating to do this. “I'm sorry for how I treated you and Lily. It was stupid and I was just being a prat, okay?”

James stared, stunned that Sirius Never-Apologize-Even-Under-Threat-Of-Dismemberment Black had just said the 's' word. The silence stretched and Padfoot began to fidget under the flummoxed stare of his friend.

“Well? You're supposed to say something!” The teen said as he waved a hand in front of the blank gaze of Prongs.

Snapping out of it, James thought briefly before giving his friend a grin. “'Course I forgive you, ya bloody moron, you're my best friend.”

Sirius grinned back and clipped the other boy on the shoulder teasingly. It wasn't long before they descended into a wrestling match and all was well again between the infamous Marauder duo. Lily rolled her eyes at their antics, but it was half-hearted as she was just pleased that their friendship had been repaired. James had been horrid while moping around.

And if Peter had seemed a big smug later at dinner that evening, and the words _'I told you so.'_ hung silent between he and Padfoot, none was the wiser. And when Padfoot barely contained his urge to strangle the other teen, he was damn proud of himself for managing it.

The next day found the three in the Room of Requirement, watching over Remus' time potion and discussing the prank that the other two had managed to concoct. It really was a brilliant prank and would go down in Hogwarts history, they were sure.

“So who was it, then?” Peter asked Sirius as he casually leaned over the potion to get a good look at it. James gave them both an odd look but continued making notes in their 'prank journal.'

“I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about.” Sirius sniffed, adding a dash of chopped bat wings to the brew. Peter cackled at him and he glared.

“The only time you don't want to boast about your conquests is when it's someone you can't really _brag_ about. Who was it, Padfoot? That Beesley boy with the giant wart on his nose?”

“None of your business. That's not true anyway, you guys don't know everyone I've ever slept with.”

“There've been sixteen if you only count going 'all the way'.” James threw in without looking up from the notebook. Peter smirked and pointed at James as if to say, _My point exactly_. And Sirius huffed.

“If you really think you know everything why don't you name five?” Sirius asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes at them. Truthfully he wasn't exactly counting so he couldn't be sure if that number was accurate anyway.

“Shane.” Peter listed, holding up a finger.

“Brutus.” James added.

“Luke.” Peter had three fingers held up now, adding a fourth when he said, “Brian.”

“Alan.”

“Max.”

“Clara.” James said thoughtfully, “I think she was the only girl. When you were fifteen, no less.”

“Andrew!” Peter exclaimed as if he just remembered then began to guffaw. “You remember him? Beady eyed and beak nosed, Merlin he even had-”

“Alright, alright!” Sirius shouted over the top of his friends' laughter. “I get it. That doesn't mean I'm telling you jack squat about this one.”

“Man, it must be _really_ bad if we know about Andrew and you won't even tell us this one.” James said with a frown, “You didn't, like... _catch_ anything did you?”

“What?! Of course not!” Sirius defended in outrage. “I'm very careful, damn you.”

“But apparently not that selective.” Peter said, still laughing and Sirius smacked him upside the head.

* * *

 

Present Day

* * *

 

 

The house was filled with a flurry of activity that morning, everyone showing up for the Order meeting so that they could begin to formulate plans for retrieving the Gryffindor sword from Hogwarts. Harry and Remus couldn't seem to manage to not touch each other every chance they got- a brush of arms, fingers, a stolen kiss in the empty hallway.

Harry had woken that morning to the realization that he could hear much better than before. He could be standing at the top of the staircase, the kitchen door closed, and still hear whatever was being spoken about within. It was a little hard to adjust to.

The official Order meeting was set for lunch time and currently Harry was in the attic for his session with Moody. Hermione, Ron and Remus were all three present, seated on old trunks to the far side of the room. Harry and Moody stood in the middle of the large room, opposite each other.

“How many of these sessions do you think I'll have to do?” Harry asked the older man curiously.

“How many of these sessions do you think you need?” Moody countered with both eyebrows raised.

“As many as it takes.” Harry replied evenly, muscles tight as he waited for the fight to start. Moody was the type that liked to try to catch opponents by surprise and Harry had learned this the hard way.

Moody looked at him a moment before letting out a deep, bellowing laugh and clapping his shoulder. “Good answer, my boy, good answer!”

When the duel began it was full on, no holds barred. Moody had taught him early on that if he didn't put the man down first, Moody wouldn't hesitate to do it to him- painfully or not.

The two shot offensive and defensive spells in rapid fire, Harry having grown quite a bit more skilled in combat since starting these training sessions. He parried a spell with a deflection charm instinctively, countered with a leg-lock jynx, came back with a body bind when that didn't work. He went at Moody relentlessly with his defenses never faltering for a second.

Moody grazed him with a cutting hex to the arm, Harry blasted him with a curse that took out a hole in the robe the older man was wearing when he dodged into a roll and the material flew up. From the ground, almost before he stopped rolling, Moody shot a stinging hex at the teen.

The emerald-eyed boy expected the move and swiftly dodged right, throwing a stunner that caught Moody in the leg. “Good on you, boy!”

Harry grinned when he threw up a quick shield that stopped the joint-lock spell Moody had tried to throw at him covertly, and the old auror looked proud of the teen for a split second before he countered the stunner on his leg and climbed to his feet. The duel continued on in the same fashion for a while, neither opponent gaining ground on the other. Hermione, Ron and Remus were proud of Harry for holding his own against an auror like Moody.

Things were starting to turn in Harry's favor when the teen suddenly stopped, turned rigid and gasped. He fell onto his knees and grabbed his head, the other three stranding up in concern.

“Did Moody get him? I didn't see anything.” Ron said in confusion, looking at the auror who shook his head sagely.

“I didn't cast anything when this happened.” Moody said as he hobbled over to the crouching teen. The other three followed suit quickly, Remus lowered to the floor next to Harry.

“Boy, what's going on?” Moody questioned as he peered questioningly at the teen. Harry's knuckles were white with how hard he pressed his hands to his head, he gasped low and didn't reply.

“Harry?” Remus asked softly, putting a hand on his mate's shoulder. “Harry, what's the matter?”

“Hurts.” Harry groaned, leaning toward Remus who tightened his hand in concern.

After another moment Harry gasped one more time, then sagged as his hands lowered. His eyes looked distant, as if he were seeing something no one else could. He shook his head and looked at Remus.

“He's awake.”

* * *

 

Everything was fuzzy at first, like a picture out of focus, when Lupin first opened his eyes. He blinked several times in an attempt to clear them. When the ceiling finally came into focus, he groaned and ran his tongue over his dry lips.

Looking around his room he caught sight of the glass of water sitting on the bedside table. He sat up slowly and grabbed the glass, gulping it down like a man trapped in the desert for days. He wondered how long he'd been out of it, racked his brain. Four days.

He eyed his door when he set the empty glass back down on the table. He settled back against the headboard and wondered how long it would be. It was surreal to suddenly be aware of a lot of things that were going to happen- things from so long ago for him but were now in the present, or future.

He groaned again and let his head thunk back against the headboard, glaring up at the ceiling as if it had personally wronged him. _What kind of cosmic joke is all of this?_ He wondered sardonically. His door banged against the wall as it was thrown open, as he knew it would. He tilted his head down and looked at the man in his door way with a scowl.

“Moony!” Sirius shouted as he jumped on top of his best friend, hugging him like he was trying to merge them into one being. Lupin struggled against the embrace that was crushing him, finally managing to throw his friend off. Sirius fell off the bed and hit the floor with a thud. “That wasn't very nice!”

“Don't attack a man who has just woken up from a coma, Padfoot.” Lupin replied with a roll of his eyes. He directed his gaze back to the open doorway with a sigh. “You might as well stop hovering.”

Four heads poked around the doorway, each one with wide eyes and sheepish looks. Hermione, Ron, Remus and... Harry. _This is not going to be easy, is it?_ Lupin asked himself as he looked at them wearily.

The four shuffled into his room, Harry hanging behind the others a bit. Lupin sighed again and had a feeling he was going to be doing that a lot from now on. Sirius stayed sitting on the floor, looking between the three uncomfortable people like he was watching a tennis match. Hermione sat in the chair beside Lupin's bed and asked him how he was feeling.

“I'm fine. My head hurts, but it's nothing a potion wouldn't cure.” Lupin replied honestly. Ron took it upon himself to fetch one and quickly left the room, as if he could feel the discomfort in the air.

Hermione didn't seem to know what else to say and fell silent at that point. Lupin took the opportunity to look at his younger self. He didn't feel like he was staring at himself, the glamour was helping dull down that oddity and make it far less strange. Remus looked back at him with a hard stare, as if he had things he wanted to say but was holding them back. It was probably for the best with the current company anyway.

Harry was alternating between looking at him in concern and staring at the wall. He looked ashen and Lupin figured the bond had shared that nice wake up call with him. Frowning, the man spotted red on the teenager's arm and remembered that it was blood.

“You should have that healed.” Lupin said to Harry, speaking to him for the first time. Harry's attention snapped to him in confusion.

“What?” He asked, brow furrowed. It didn't escape Lupin's notice that Remus stepped a little closer to the teen.

“That.” Lupin pointed to Harry's arm, where blood was turning a patch of the shirt sleeve crimson. “Where Moody hit you with the cutting hex.”

Harry stared at him for a full minute, jaw dropped. “Uh... yeah, I'll do that.”

No one said anything for a long moment as the two just stared at each other. Remus touched Harry's arm and the teen snapped out of it, blinking and turning to look at him. They seemed to communicate something for a minute in that look before Harry turned back and smiled at Lupin.

“Glad to see you're okay.” He said simply, turning and leaving the room without another word. Remus followed him silently.

 


	21. Ways to Confound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....SORRY.
> 
> I know it's been three years, I'd grovel and ask for forgiveness but I figure my time would be better spent actually working toward finally fricken finishing this monster of a story... so with that said, here's chapter 21... I'm going to move the rest of the chapters posted on FFnet here and then I'll begin updating with new ones as soon as I get them written... thanks to everyone who is still watching this story and apparently has the patience of the saints. <3

Ginny Weasley was having a horrid day. She'd burned the bacon when helping her mother prepare breakfast this morning, accidentally knocked a painting off the wall in the hallway and broken the frame when she was dusting, and had gotten told off by Snape when she'd tripped and poured a bucket of dirty mop water all over the man.

So it was that the girl was hiding in one of the sitting rooms on the second floor that was rarely used by anyone, _not_ sulking. Not at all. She was simply removing herself from the company of others in order to clear her mind and gather her thoughts. _Really._

After several long moments of sitting silently in the dusty room, the girl finally pulled herself together enough to brave the rest of the house's occupants. As she was opening the door to slip out into the hallway she glanced up when she heard foot steps heading in her direction. Catching sight of Remus and Harry coming down the hall, Ginny slipped back behind the door and held her breath with a scowl. The last thing she needed right now was to have to talk to Harry, who'd been an absolute prat to her lately, and Remus The-Guy-Who-Steals-All-of-Harry's-Attention.

It absolutely grated at Ginny that ever since Remus had shown up Harry had not only ignored the girl's presence, but treated her like dirt as well. She had thought they were close to having something between them. Everyone knew Ginny cared a great deal about Harry and the girl had been under the impression for a long time that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way about her. Now though it seemed like he was too busy focusing on his new friend. It pissed her off to no end to be ignored as such.

Her attention was snapped back to the present when the footsteps suddenly halted, and Ginny dared not move in case they heard her and came to see what she was doing. She frowned when there was no further movement after a moment, then blinking in confusion when she heard a faint thud from the hallway. Slowly, silently, she peeked around the doorway into the hall.

Her heart squeezed tightly in her chest at the sight that greeted her. Harry had Remus pushed against the wall, both hands clenching the other boy's shirt. Remus' hands were on Harry's hips in a way that seemed possessive, and the raven-haired teen was currently devouring Remus' mouth in a passionate kiss.

Ginny didn't move, didn't breathe for a moment as she took in the scene. She wasn't sure when she'd started crying, just having noticed the tears streaming down her face distantly after several moments that felt like eternity. Her heart thudded in her chest as her pulse began to race and suddenly she had to get out of there, couldn't take it anymore.

Neither boy noticed when Ginny slipped out of the room and down the hallway away from them. No one took note of the redhead flying down the stair case. No one even heard the sound of the door shut with a click as the teenager left the residence behind, wiping away tears and gasping for breath through her panic. She wasn't sure where she was going, but at the moment anywhere was better than there.

It was just after the Order meeting that the alarm was raised. They had formulated a plan that seemed as if they might not die immediately in the process of retrieving the Sword of Gryffindor, which was really the best they could do at the current moment. A sleek black owl had arrived right when everyone was dispersing, heading straight for Dumbledore with a letter attached to its leg.

No one had really paid much attention to the mail or Dumbledore, it wasn't unusual to receive letters from various people involved in the anti-Voldemort movement these days. Harry had been too busy fidgeting due to being in a confined space with both Remus and the now awake Lupin to really care much about one letter.

Lupin had felt well enough after he'd woken up and finally downed the headache potion and had joined the Order meeting to be brought up to speed on what had been happening. He hadn't seemed entirely thrilled with the recap of Harry and the others' raid on Riddle Manor and had even went so far as glowering at the teenager briefly before ignoring him completely. Harry hadn't been sure what to expect when the man woke up, but the cold shoulder hadn't really entered into his expectations.

Remus had been keeping a close eye on the way his older self interacted with his mate, and when he'd caught the look the other had sent the teenager he'd glowered right back at him. The two werewolves had been silently sending glares at each other for the rest of the meeting, unbeknownst to the others. The tension between Harry, Remus and Lupin was thick enough to suffocate a person and it was only getting worse as time dragged on and the discussion of the Hogwarts mission came around.

At first Lupin had tried to be adamant about Harry not being involved in this, with a few other members agreeing with him. Harry had put his foot down and downright refused to be excluded, which had almost turned the entire thing into a shouting match before Dumbledore had spoken up and ended the argument by agreeing that Harry should come. He hadn't given reason as to why he agreed to the teen's presence, but his word was still law with the Order and Lupin had been forced to concede the fight.

So it was a tad confusing when the meeting had already been called to an end, everyone already making their way out of the kitchen in order to leave, when Dumbledore suddenly called them back. The members of the Order were bewildered but came back and were seated once more, looking at their leader expectantly. The former Headmaster looked pale as he set the letter he'd received carefully on the table, fingers trembling slightly.

"I have just received unfortunate news." The aged wizard began softly, looking at each person in turn. "One of our own has been captured."

There was a collective intake of breath, each person wondering who it was and if it were someone they were close to. No one spoke, the group waiting for the man to continue, but Molly Weasley looked far more panic stricken than the rest. With the vast amount of children she had it stood to reason that there was a far greater chance that it was one of her own. Remus looked at Harry and found the teen already looking at him, brows furrowed in concern.

"Who is it?" Remus questioned Dumbledore, knowing no one else wanted to ask the question though they all wondered. He felt Harry's hand grasp his own under the table, fingers interlacing.

"I'm sorry, Molly, Arthur." Dumbledore said solemnly. The two older Weasleys grew tense, Molly started crying soundlessly. "It's Ginny."

"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried, her husband wrapping his arms around her though he didn't look much better off at the news. "No, not our baby! Our baby, Arthur!"

"Molly... We'll get her back. We will." Mr. Weasley said firmly, turning to look at Dumbledore with determined eyes. "What does that letter say?"

"This letter is from our mysterious friend. I'm not sure how they have come about the knowledge of Miss Weasley's capture, but the letter reports that the Death Eaters have her currently held at Malfoy Manor." The aged wizard told them before turning his attention on Snape, who had been silent thus far. "It would perhaps be a good idea to contact Mrs. Malfoy and see what she may know of the situation."

"Of course." Snape said, standing and exiting the room to do just that.

Dumbledore handed the letter off to be read by each person as they waited for the potions master to return. A few people made comment about this sketchy 'friend' and their possible motives, but most just read wordlessly before handing it off to the next person in line. Sirius, Remus noted with a frown, didn't bother reading it at all which was puzzling.

When the letter made its way to Remus and Harry they both read it silently together.

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_I'm sorry to have to inform you and the others that the news I bear is not good._

_Ginny Weasley has, as of early this morning, been captured by a group of Death Eaters calling themselves Snatchers. They have assigned themselves the task of rounding up all of the people who are on the Ministry of Magic's Undesirable list, (Which as you know includes yourself, Harry Potter, and most other known members of the Order of the Phoenix.)_

_They have taken Ginny to Malfoy Manor where Voldemort has kept a strong Death Eater presence even though he's managed to secure Hogwarts. The manor is mostly serving as a prison now and is where most people who are captured are taken. There are quite a few others already being held there aside from Ginny. It will not be easy to break in and rescue the captives, but as I'm sure you have many friends in surprising places I know you will find the resources needed to accomplish it._

_I wish you all the luck,_

_-A Friend_

Almost as soon as the two teens had read the letter and passed it on to the next person in line, Snape returned to the room with Narcissa Malfoy trailing behind. The reaction to the woman's presence was mixed between the Order members- some were tense and eyed the woman with distrust, others had a grudging respect for someone who could play both sides so well.

"Ah, Mrs. Malfoy. It's good to see you well, though circumstances are not pleasant." Dumbledore said by way of greeting, extending a small head nod to the woman. Narcissa looked at him without saying a word, then turned to glare at Mad-Eye Moody who was staring at the woman particularly hard.

"Moody, keep your eye to yourself." The woman demanded with a sneer, to which Moody only grinned in amusement. Snape rolled his eyes at the both of them.

"Oh don't worry," Moody replied, reaching in his robe to pull his flask out and take a long swig. "I've learned by now that some secrets are best left hidden."

"You think you're clever." Narcissa responded, rolling her eyes in an unlady-like display of irritation and Moody guffawed, laughing heartily.

"Apparently not as clever as you!" The man choked out as he replaced his flask.

Harry looked between the two in confusion, not understanding the joke. Remus could see that there was obviously a secondary conversation going on but said nothing as he waited for the topic to shift back to the matter at hand. After a few moments of silence, where everyone seemed to be trying to make heads or tails of the suddenly friendly relationship between the Lady Malfoy and Mad-Eye Moody, Snape spoke.

"As amusing as this has been, we need information Narcissa, as I have already told you." Snape said, giving the woman a dark look which she returned in spades before turning to the table and withdrawing several shrunken scrolls.

Waving her wand faster than anyone could really blink the woman had enlarged the parchments and re-pocketed the instrument. Narcissa set about unfurling several of the documents and Remus realized once they were sitting fully displayed that they were blueprints of Malfoy Manor. The group seated around the table leaned in to get a better look at the documents.

"You realize, of course," Narcissa began as one of her fingers slid across a map in contemplation, "That this entire thing will most likely lead to my cover being blown with Voldemort."

Harry stiffened beside Remus, shocked that the woman had so carelessly thrown out the Dark Lord's name when most people would sooner faint at the mere mention. Remus was perplexed as well by the casual tone in which Narcissa had spoken of the evil man.

"Well, you know there's a place for you here if that's the case." It was Sirius who spoke, looking at the woman with fondness. It was odd but then one remembered that the two were in fact cousins, and perhaps this interaction was due to familial bonds.

Narcissa gave Sirius a calculating look at that, frowning deeply. "Yes, of course, where I can be of no assistance at all."

"Maybe you've done enough." Sirius countered with a scowl.

"And maybe you forget your place, Sirius Black." The woman countered in a tight tone. The two glared at each other for a long moment before their conversation ended abruptly when Dumbledore spoke.

"Please, Narcissa. The plans?" The old wizard reminded gently, pulling a scroll toward him to study. The woman seemed to come back to herself at that and cleared her throat, turning toward the maps on the table.

"These are the blueprints of every level of Malfoy Manor." Narcissa said, tapping her finger absently on the table with remaining irritation. "I've been there since the Hogwarts ambush because Voldemort doesn't trust me enough to keep me close. The captives are being held in the bottom most level of the manor, the dungeons."

"There are actual dungeons in your house?" Ron asked in an incredulous voice, eyes wide.

"Well of course there are, where else would we put those that annoy us?" Narcissa said, tone serious but with an amused gleam in her eye. She pulled a map from underneath the stack and pointed to it. "This is the dungeon. There are twenty-one cells, each with very strong wards. It won't be easy to dismantle them without Malfoy blood magic."

"Well then, it's a good thing we have you on our side isn't it?" Ron huffed out. Narcissa shook her head in exasperation.

"No, actually, it isn't. I can't get past these wards easier than any of you can." The woman said testily, as if Ron's ignorance was a personal insult. "I'm married into that family, this magic calls for literal blood."

"What about Malf- er, Draco?" Harry asked, frowning at the blueprints on the table as he took in every detail of the large multi-chambered room.

"That's what I was thinking, actually." Hermione added in, moving to stand so she could reach the maps. "The blood magic will respond to Draco and it will help us get the people imprisoned there out."

"Indeed," Narcissa said, "He's at another of the Order's safe houses. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to join in on this."

Ron snorted, "Malfoy? Helping us with something that could potentially make him break a nail?"

"You shouldn't speak so callously, you don't know anything about what that boy's been through." Narcissa muttered darkly, causing Ron to snort again.

"Like having his massage appointment canceled on short notice?"

"Weasley, hold your tongue. We have bigger things to concern ourselves with than your pissing match with Draco." Snape snapped, glaring at the teenager.

"Alright, everyone, let's please refrain from arguing amongst ourselves. Narcissa, we will require Draco's assistance for this. Are you sure he will aid us?" Dumbledore cut in.

"Of course he will. He's not the immature boy he used to be." Narcissa said with a nod.

After that the planning got more serious, each stage being carefully mapped out as they discerned the best course of action for getting into the Manor and getting out alive. Ron held his tongue from further comments about Malfoy and Harry threw himself into the planning with gusto, feeling as if he owed it to Ginny considering how badly he'd treated her in the last week.

Remus offered insight now and then but mostly remained silent as the others figured things out. He wasn't needed as much during this because Lupin was already making himself an integral part of the discussion. Anything Remus could've added in to help, his older counter part had already done so.

It was interesting to watch how smoothly Harry and Lupin worked together to plan this out- they complimented each other's style of thought. When Lupin threw in an idea on something, Harry added to it seamlessly with things the others hadn't considered, and vise-versa. It made something in Remus' stomach clench to watch and he suddenly felt as if maybe his time here was at its end, maybe his usefulness to both Harry and his life were at a close. Now Harry had Lupin, the person that belonged in his world, right?

He felt a hand rest on his thigh and he turned his head to see Harry giving him that look, the one that always made Remus feel as if he were the only person in Harry's universe, the one that said _I love you_  without the words needing to be spoken. Suddenly he felt silly for the way his thoughts had been going and he placed his hand atop Harry's, giving the other boy a small smile.

When the two turned back to the discussion, Remus didn't miss the way Narcissa and Lupin were both staring at the teenagers as if they knew what had just taken place. Lupin looked faintly exasperated and Narcissa had an expression that was unreadable.

It was later in the evening, after the Order meeting had been officially ended and everyone had went their separate ways to convene again in the morning for more planning on the raid of Malfoy Manor. Remus was in the kitchen with Hermione, Sirius and Lupin and they were waiting for Ron and Harry to show up. There was an elaborate birthday cake sitting in the center of the oak table, candles yet unlit.

It had been Sirius' idea to make tiny conjured snitches fly around the candles, Remus found it fairly childish but didn't comment since his friend seemed supremely proud of himself. Lupin looked stiff and uncomfortable, leaning against the counter across the room from the others. The teenager knew his older self didn't really want to be there at the moment, what with everything that had happened with Harry.

Sirius was bouncing on his feet with barely contained excitement, Hermione was setting out plates and silverware for the group. When the door opened and Ron and Harry entered the room, the girl whispered the spell that would light the candles and turned to smile at her two best friends. Harry looked momentarily taken aback by the scene that greeted him in the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" Sirius shouted, pouncing on the teenager and enveloping him in a bear hug. "Do you like it? Hermione made the cake but I had the idea for the snitches and we knew you'd be happy because really it's your birthday and you should have a cake on your birthday and I bet you thought we'd forgotten but we wouldn't forget a thing like-"

"Sirius," Remus said in exasperation, "Give Harry some room to breathe for the love of Merlin."

Sirius looked bewildered for a moment before Harry's faint request for oxygen finally registered and he stepped back, sheepish. "Sorry, mate."

Harry coughed a few times, dragging air into his lungs before after a moment he regained his composure and smiled at the older man. "It's alright."

"Happy birthday, Harry." Hermione said as she walked up to the teenager and gave him a much gentler hug. Ron patted his friend on the shoulder and gave him the same greeting.

"Do you like the cake though?" Sirius asked in anticipation, moving to the table to point out the confection as if Harry hadn't already caught sight of it. Harry grinned at his godfather's obvious exuberance and nodded.

"It's a nice cake." He said soothingly, looking at Remus in amusement. The werewolf shrugged, he hadn't had anything to do with all of this.

"Well come on then!" Sirius demanded, "Blow out the candles so we can have cake and then do presents!"

"Presents?" Harry asked in bewilderment, "How the hell did any of you manage to get presents when we've been on lockdown?"

"Marauders always have ways, Harry." Sirius told him, tone conspiratorial. "Where there is a rule against it, there is always a Marauder way around it."

"Oh Merlin's balls, you didn't do anything stupid and/or illegal did you?" Harry asked, exasperated.

"No questions you don't want to know the answer to." Sirius replied, waving his hand dismissively, "Now blow out your bloody candles, boy!"

Harry rolled his eyes but did blow out the candles. As the cake was being cut and portioned off Snape walked in from the door that connected the kitchen to the cellar. He took one look at the scene before him before snorting and promptly turning back the way he came.

"Bloody hell, it's a celebration of Potter." The group heard the man mutter in exasperation as the door closed behind him. Sirius glared at the now-closed door.

"That man is a ray of damn sunshine." Padfoot said, glowering. Lupin chuckled and ate his slice of cake without comment.

As soon as everyone was finished with their pieces, Sirius set about placing parcels wrapped in brown paper on the table. Harry looked at the five packages with wonder.

"You really did manage to get presents." He said as if he hadn't quite believed it.

"Less talking, more opening presents." Sirius said as he threw one of the parcels towards his godson. It was small and heavy and it was only thanks to the many years of being a seeker that Harry managed to catch it before it hit him in the face.

Harry unwrapped the present to find a thick book on the topic of werewolves, courtesy of Hermione. A thick silence settled in the air after the book had been revealed as Lupin, Remus and Harry all sat determinedly not looking at each other. The gift really was rather thoughtful, but it brought to mind things that the three didn't care to dwell on at the moment. Sirius, sensing the tension and having none of it, threw another package across the table.

"Er, thanks 'Mione." Harry managed as he caught the present that almost hit him in the face. Hermione smiled gently at her friend.

"Thought you might need it." She said, patting his shoulder. Harry nodded as he tore into the next present.

This one was a gift certificate to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, from Ron. It was a nice gift and Harry made no comment on the fact that he had an invitation to anything he might want in the shop for free since he'd helped the twins fund its opening. Harry gave his friend a grin and thanked him.

The next was from Lupin, a practical wand holster that fitted to the wrist. Harry thanked the man, finding it hard to meet his eyes as he did so. Padfoot once again moved things along and tossed another gift at the teenager, not letting any ounce of tension settle on the group. This was a celebration and he was determined that they were going to by Merlin celebrate.

This one was Remus' own gift to Harry. The teenager opened it and then laughed heartily when he saw the gift certificate to Honeyduke's. The werewolf grinned, proud he'd managed to make his mate happy after everything that had occurred today.

The last present was Sirius', and Harry was nearly falling out of his chair in laughter when he saw the title of the book. Practical Pranking: 106 Ways to Confound.

"What?" Sirius said when Hermione shot him a disapproving look. "I still think this should have been on Hogwarts' syllabus."

 

* * *

 

 

Narcissa was a constant fixture in the house over the next two days as the Order pounded out the details for the plan to rescue the people captured at Malfoy Manor. She only spoke when she needed to and remained aloft otherwise, often times disappearing with Snape or Sirius for long lengths of time when there wasn't a meeting to attend.

More letters came in from their ever-watchful friend, detailing the health of those under the Death Eater's control and assuring everyone that nothing life threatening was happening as of yet. Draco Malfoy had agreed to his part of the plan without a fight, shocking Ron and Harry, and had arrived to Grimauld on the evening of the second day. He'd mostly stayed in his room out of everyone's way unless he was needed to go over a detail and even then he stayed noticeably distant with his own mother.

When the day came for the Order to finally make their move, Dumbledore set about giving each person their individual orders so that everyone was certain of their part of the plan. It was with shock and extreme aggravation that Remus found out on that day that he wouldn't be joining in any part of this. Apparently Sirius and Lupin had adamantly refused to allow the younger werewolf to take part, citing that anything that may happen to the teenager could affect the past. Dumbledore had been forced to reluctantly agree, though not without Remus throwing a spectacular fit over it.

In the end there hadn't really been anything Remus could do about his exclusion and he had relented, pissed, when Harry took the other three's side over his. Sirius seemed much too amused by the entire argument for Remus' liking, but the man didn't comment on what he found so amusing.

Harry and Remus managed to steal a moment to themselves before the Order headed off on the mission, using the empty sitting room. The werewolf, though in a foul mood, hugged his mate tightly to his body.

"It'll all be alright, Remus." Harry said softly, running his hand up the other teen's back in a soothing manner. "It's not going to take long, we'll be back by early morning at the latest."

"That's barring unforeseen circumstances, like you getting captured or killed." Remus said testily, arms tightening on the shorter male. Harry huffed.

"Yeah, but the others will be there to back me up. Hell, you'll be there. Just not, you know, the you-you." Harry replied, laughing at the end of his sentence over the confusing use of words.

Remus rolled his eyes, "That doesn't really make me feel much better. I'd rather be there watching your back than waiting at home for you to return in one piece."

"I'll be fine." The raven-haired boy said firmly, leaning in to kiss Remus heatedly and all the werewolf could think was that those seemed like they'd fit on a list of famous last words.

Sirius poked his head in the room after a moment and coughed, drawing the two teenagers apart. Remus glared at his friend, who looked sheepish. "Sorry to interrupt, but Harry it's time to shove off."

Harry nodded, giving Remus one more chaste kiss before leaving the room. Sirius wished him luck on his way out, then turned to the werewolf with a solemn smile. "Come on, then, let's play a round of chess and see if we can't make time fly faster."

Remus didn't respond but followed his friend to the study where the chessboard was already set up. The two took their places at the board and Sirius pushed a chocolate bar into his friend's hands. Remus stared at the candy in confusion.

"For your nerves, chocolate's always helpful according to you." Sirius told him with a grin. The teen rolled his eyes and set the candy down, moving a pawn forward two spaces.

"Let's just get this started."

The older male was a bit concerned, seeing his long time friend disinterested in chocolate. He didn't comment and the chess game commenced mostly without discussion.

 

* * *

 

 

The plan was fairly simple. Narcissa, still a respected member of the Death Eaters, would bring Harry and Draco in as captives. When they were taken to their cells, Narcissa would slip them their wands. Later, when the chaos of their capture died down, the female Malfoy would assist two groups of Order members in entering the manor. These two groups were to aid the teenagers in getting the prisoners out unharmed.

There was a lot of room for error, which made everyone a little uncomfortable, but it was the best plan they had short of burst in wands blazing. That, according to Narcissa, would be idiotic considering there were thirty some odd Death Eaters currently residing at the manor (including Lucius Malfoy himself.)

Narcissa had also told them this plan would have to be executed quickly, because as soon as Voldemort learned that his servants had managed to capture Harry the man would summon the boy to Hogwarts and kill him painfully and bloodily. And yeah, she had said it exactly that bluntly, much to a few weak-stomached Order members' dismay. It had kind of been funny for Harry to see Lupin glare at the woman, though.

So it was that the two designated captives appeared bloody and unconscious, bound by magic ropes and levitating behind Narcissa as she stalked through the doors of the Manor's entry way. The couple of Death Eaters standing guard froze when they caught sight of the two floating in behind the woman.

"Bloody hell, woman!" One of them cried in shock, "You caught Harry fucking Potter!"

After that greeting and a round up of a few other Death Eaters who wanted to poke and jeer at the Boy Who Lived, it wasn't long before the two teens were taken to their cells in the dungeons. Narcissa had snapped at anyone who offered to assist, stating that she'd been the one who had put in all the work and she'd throw them in their prison cell all by herself as well.

It was swift when their wands were pushed into their hands, so quick the few that had followed the woman didn't catch the movement as the teenagers were shoved into a tiny stone box of a room that was in a long line of similar ones. A few of the other cell doors were shut, and Harry knew that's where they'd find their friends.

"Why're you puttin' them in the same cell?" A man with too much hair on his face questioned, beady eyes looking bewildered.

"Because, Andrew," Narcissa snapped, saying the man's name like it were disgusting on her tongue, "They hate each other. I don't particularly care if they rip each other apart while we wait for the Master to order the boy's presence."

"But that's your son..." Andrew responded, looking shocked at the woman's callousness.

"He's a traitor, he is no son of mine." Narcissa replied, slamming the cell door closed.

The noise of the voices outside their cell drifted away as the Death Eaters exited the dungeon. Harry and Draco sat up after a moment, both looking over their surroundings. The room was very small, barely big enough for the teens to spread their arms out without brushing fingers on each side of the wall.

"With all that money, you guys couldn't have made bigger prison cells?" Harry muttered darkly, turning to take in the door. It was stone just like the walls, no door handle. It was obvious that magic is what held it shut.

"Sorry we don't bother ourselves with the comfort of prisoners." Draco replied, without venom.

Harry had seen a drastic change in his old school nemesis. When Draco had arrived at Grimauld Place Harry had fully expected there to be lots of fighting and cursing between them, but instead he'd only been met with stony silence and a sense that his old enemy had seen more than his share of evil and hadn't come out the other side completely untouched.

The two didn't say anything else to each other as they waited the previously agreed upon time. Draco moved forward and performed an intricate pattern with his wand, muttering in what Harry figured might be Latin. It was after two minutes of this that Draco stilled and the door opened with a soft click.

The chamber outside of the cell was empty and the two teens quickly went about opening the other cells. They found Neville Longbottom looking worse for wear, Dean Thomas, Olivander (Who Harry hadn't even been informed was missing), Filch (Who Harry briefly considered throwing back _in_ the cell), and finally Ginny.

The girl was red-eyed and tear stained when they found her, curled into a ball in the corner of her cell. Harry had attempted to move toward her but when she flinched he paused. She glared at him and stood on shaky legs.

"I don't want to be near you right now, Harry. I am so angry at you, this is all your fault." The girl said in an icy tone. Draco looked between the two with bewilderment clearly painted on his face.

"Look, Gin, I don't know what this is about but we've got to get out of here." Harry said, pointing out toward the hall. "The Order is going to be bursting into this place any minute to help us get out, we need to be where we've agreed to be at that time."

"Just don't you speak to me." Ginny shot back, tears filling her eyes as she pushed between the boys and joined the other recently released captives.

Draco lifted a questioning brow at the scene and Harry shrugged helplessly, because he was wondering what the actual fuck that was about himself. After the two teens got everyone rounded up and informed them of the plan to get out of the manor, the group made their way cautiously out of the dungeons. Their goal was to reach the study on the ground floor of the manor, where a large picture window overlooked the tree line at the end of the property. It was at that spot that a hole had been made in the wards by Draco himself that would allow them to apparate out when they reached the forest.

It took a while, sneaking as they were, to make it to the room they needed. Malfoy Manor was huge and Harry had no doubts that without Draco's help they all would have been utterly lost in this tomb of marble and gilt.

Narcissa was waiting for them in the room, as previously arranged. She looked at them silently, handing over a few of the coins that Hermione had made. After slipping them into their pockets they could hear the woman's voice inside their minds.

'The first team is already inside getting ready to make the required distraction. The second will be here any moment. Remember, no matter what happens your only goal is to reach that tree line.'

Everyone nodded their understanding. When shouts rose in the air from somewhere else in the large manor house, followed by curses and a large amount of bangs, the team escourting them to the trees arrived through the doors. Harry was not pleased to see Lupin wasn't part of this one.

"Ready everyone?" Tonks asked cheerily despite the situation. She didn't wait for a response before she sent a blasting curse at the picture window, shattering it.

The handful of Order members along with the ex-captives wasted no time in climbing through the window and gunning it for the trees. It was a good quidditch field's length away from the house and left them all exposed to the stray hex from a handful of Death Eaters who'd noticed them escaping.

Tonks, Wood and Shacklebolt shot back curses of their own and shielded the teenagers, Filch and Olivander from the odd curse that got too close to them. Harry deflected a nasty limb severing curse and shot back the exact same thing at the Death Eater who'd targeted him, not wasting a second to marvel over how much friggin' blood there was when someone had their leg cut off.

It was right as the group hit the tree line, a bunch of them disappearing with a pop to the location they'd agreed on beforehand, curses flying everywhere and chaos heightening when the trees starting exploding from the impact of so many dark spells thrown towards them, that Harry's bond with Remus exploded in pain and the world went dark around him.

 

* * *

 

 

Remus was just moving his bishop to put Sirius into check when he realized something was wrong. He didn't feel very well and Sirius was looking at him in an odd way.

"Remus, you did take that potion Snape brewed for you right?" Padfoot asked flippantly, as if there was nothing weird about the out of no where question. Remus frowned.

"Yes, days ago. Why?" Then a horrifying thought struck the teenager, his head whipped up and he pinned his friend with a panicked look. "It's not happening, is it? Pads, tell me it's not happening now!"

"I'm sorry, my dear friend." Sirius replied sadly, not meeting the other male's eyes. He was staring at Remus' hand, and when the werewolf looked he was stunned to find his fingers turning transparent.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Remus shouted, standing up from the table so abruptly that he knocked into it and sent the chess pieces scattering across the floor. His entire arm was disappearing, his legs had already faded out unbeknownst to him at some point. _This was happening too fast, much too fast!_

"It wouldn't have made a difference, Remus. There's nothing that can be done to stop it."

"If I had known- If I'd had more time-" Remus knew he was babbling, panicked as his torso began disappearing.

"You'd have done what? There's nothing anyone could have done." Sirius said firmly, raising from his seat slowly. "I'm sorry."

"I would have known, Sirius! I would have bloody well known!" Remus shouted, growing more desperate as he viewed himself looking like a floating set of shoulders. It was almost over, he was almost gone, why now?!

"Known?" Sirius asked, confused by what he meant.

"To say goodbye..."

Remus said as he disappeared completely.


End file.
